I saw his photo on a Facebook page for a kill shelter in North Carolina. His tilted head and flopped-over ears just grabbed me. In the shelter they called him Gyro. He had a brother at the shelter that got adopted but he was alone. I knew that litters of puppies would be sent to rescue groups in the Northeast, but single pups got looked over. Working with a rescue group, I partnered with them to take financial responsibility for him and I was to foster him when he arrived in Massachusetts.
Two days after he left the shelter (and the name Gyro), I was informed by the vet he was sent to that the shelter had to close due to possible distemper. Now I got scared. I had taken financial responsibility for a dog that I might never meet, who could get distemper. I was calling the vet daily to check on my Oskar. And luckily, he stayed healthy.
After a four week stay at the vet, he got his traveling papers to take the trip North. I was still considering just fostering him since I already had a dog and I didn't know how Dexter would feel about a brother... especially one that is double his size.
On April 4, 2012, Dexter, my son and I drove to the place where Oskar was staying after his trip North. Since it was a neutral location, I thought it would be a great place to see how the dogs would get along. And they took to each other like they were forever friends.
Looking back to that day 8 years ago, when I saw Oskar's photo that Facebook page, I realized now that his eyes were telling me that he needed to be a part of my life, my family, my world. I never regret the money, worry, and scared feelings that I went thru after pulling him from that shelter. To think now that this beautiful, loving dog could have died at that North Carolina shelter just hurts my heart. And to still know that thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters because animals are not spayed or neutered just makes me cry.
GEORGETOWN, MA
