Brownie, formerly homeless and living solo in nearby woods for at least 6 months, finally “trusted” us and joined our family in December 1997. Following that trust twelve years ago, our vet estimated her age to be approximately 4-5 years. So as of this writing, the old girl is approximately 16-17 years.
     This dog was living in nearby woods, apparently homeless, surviving on road kill and garbage. She was extremely wary of people and took great pains to avoid human contact. Those in the neighborhood who DID see her were apprehensive of her because of her looks. Most likely part Pit Bull, someone had cropped her ears and docked her tail, resulting in a menacing appearance.
     Determined to help her, I placed food out for her every morning for a period of 6 months while walking my other dog before work. My other dog alerted me to her presence on those dark mornings, giving a soft whine to indicate that Brownie was nearby.
     I would speak softly to her and call her, but she watched from a distance and would not eat the food until I was a distance away from her. This continued for months.
     There was no change in MY morning routine on December 7, 1997. However, there was a dramatic change in Brownie’s routine. That morning, when I called to her, she came right over to me!
     A neighbor helped me out by grabbing an extra leash and collar while I plied her with “cookies” to keep her interest. I subsequently walked her home, had her vetted and groomed.
     As no one ever claimed her, she remained a part of our family. Her initial activity upon entering our home was to claim a corner of the sofa as hers, and so it was to be.
     Our old girl has been a tremendous joy, serving as our Ambassador of Goodwill, with her wiggling butt and gentle demeanor towards all. She is the big sister to our other rescue dogs and warmly welcomed the foster as well.
     She earned her Canine Good Citizen certificate on June 7, 1998.
     While somewhat of a redhead in her younger days, nowadays, she is clearly a senior citizen. While not a conventional beauty, she has always been an extremely sweet and gentle dog.
     Brownie deserves to be a winner of the “Rags to Riches” contest because her decision to join our family reaffirmed the world’s oldest friendship—that between human and canine.
     Her superb survival instincts were eventually trumped by her need for human companionship.

 

* Ninth Place Award Recipient