Danny

Danny !

Danny was the name given to him when he was picked up as a stray on the streets of Richmond. He was old, tired, weak, skinny, dirty and very weary of people. When he came to us he had already been cleaned up but his Spirit was clearly broken. We were told he had maybe a few weeks to live because he was so fragile. He would shake as he stood and a strong wind would have blown him over. We gave him food, shelter, a warm soft bed, and whatever love he would accept. We nicknamed him The Old Guy or O.G. for short.

O.G. was not the most affectionate dog in the world but eventually his trust of us developed and when his strength and confidence came he would show us appreciation in his own way. When we first got him, he was weary and would run from us but over time he would run to us. We delighted in seeing the first time he would do a play-stance, playfully nip at his leash while getting ready for a walk, greet and lick our hands upon returning home, and hearing his 'woo-woo' when he was happy. He made us laugh when he acted like a 'wild horse' when playing (which led to our other nickname: "Horsey!"). It was evident he had been kept in a small cement pad because his instinct was to relieve himself where he ate, which is not normal for any animal, and he would only relieve himself on the cement pad out back. Slowly this habit changed and so did his Spirit. He became part of our pack. He fit like a square peg in a round hole. He disrupted pretty much everything in pretty much every way, but it made us laugh and stirred up the chemistry in an entertaining way as he wedged his way in. He grew to love us, and we grew to love him. At times, he acted so puppy-like that we were convinced he was not as old as they said and were preparing ourselves to have him with us for over a year. Although his Spirit healed and kept him going for a lot longer than anyone would have guessed...it was 7 months...not enough!

Yesterday Sept 18,2009 the O.G went to sleep forever. It was, and is, harder than we thought it would be because we got to be good pack mates. Near the end, his disabilities progressed quick and he had put his best days behind him. We knew this was coming so he got nothing but spoiled in his last days. We let him eat off the coffee table, which is forbidden, and it drove our other dog crazy. We also fed him prime buffalo steak and hamburger cooked just for him. We took him to his 1 mile trail loop in Royal Roads that he loved to walk off leash, which we named 'The O.G. Trail'. He couldn't make it around but we let him sniff around and spend some time in his FAVOURITE place.

He will be missed!!

If it wasn't for Big Heart Rescue, Danny would never have gotten another chance to enjoy life. Most other rescues would have put him down the day they found him because the costs are so high and his chance of coming back would have been slim. Big Hearts put a lot of money into Danny (they paid for all the bills including the numerous vet bills). We did the fostering. They are funded by Donation and with volunteer Fosters. It was because of them that Danny got to spend the rest of his days learning to be part of a family...to love and be loved. He often kicked his back legs in his sleep as though he were running in his dreams. Run free, sweet boy, run free....