Willie's Story!

My young child said “Mom, I want a Chihuahua!” After giving the idea a bit of thought and having no luck in finding a puppy, we decided to get a rescue Chihuahua and save a life. We searched the local dog pounds to no avail.

After a few weeks of looking, I decided to try the local animal shelter near my office during my lunch hour with a co-worker. This time there happened to be a couple of Chihuahua’s but they were already spoken for. Having a few minutes to waste, my co-worker decides we might as well check out the “cat” enclosure. Keep in mind, this is a fairly large shelter in which the cat enclosure is about 600sf with cages around 3 walls forming a “U” shape. As we approached the cat enclosure we could see a few other people inside looking at cats. It was quiet as a mouse! (No pun intended) As soon as we stepped into the enclosure all hell broke loose!

There was a ruckus…a bark…a little dog barking his head off in the cat enclosure. We turned at the sound and saw a sickly looking old Chihuahua who was furiously barking and barking at us among the hundreds of cat cages! He never made a peep at the other humans in the enclosure, but he went totally psycho when he saw us. We walked to the cage and knelt down. My friend looked at me and shook his head saying “this is the ugliest dog I’ve ever seen”! With my fingers now reaching in between the bars to stroke the wild dog, he became placid. “Poor little guy!” I said. I then stood up at which time this little dog started freaking out again. Playing on my sympathy he was!

As I stood there looking and listening to this little creature, my heart warmed. At that moment, an attendant walked in and I asked if I could see the little guy. She said that she would unlock the kennel and proceeded to do so all the while telling me that even so, this Chihuahua was too sick and thus not on their list of available dogs. He simply was not adoptable.

I picked up this tiny bundle of 3 lbs 4 oz and he immediately cuddled into my body and stopped barking. I looked up at my friend and he started busting up laughing so hard he doubled over. When he could speak again he said “Leave it up to you to pick the ugliest dog in the whole shelter!” I pleaded with the attendant, however with no success. This little flea ridden, half blind, half bald, filthy old man Chihuahua was not suitable for adoption. I said my good-byes and set him back in his cage at which time he started barking non-stop. My friend pulled me out by the arm while I looked on in bewilderment at this lone dog among the cat population.

Several weeks later, another co-worker and friend who knew I was in search of a Chihuahua told me to come to the local shelter where she volunteered her veterinary services at. She said she had an old Chihuahua that was in desperate need of a good home and to come just to have a look.

I loaded my daughter in the car after work and we headed for the shelter. During the 30 minute drive, I finally decided we would just end up getting a pup from a breeder, but as a courtesy, that we would at least take a look at the dog my friend was trying to pawn off on us.

We walked back to the clinic at the far end of the shelter and asked for my friend who was the local veterinary surgeon. We waited only moments and she came walking out, “Great you’re here, hang on one sec and I’ll get the old man! I just finished neutering him and cleaning his teeth and he is in recovery. I’ll be right back!”

A few minutes later, my friend walked out with a tiny bundle swaddled in a little white blanket. We approached my friend and peered into the blanket. My daughter squealed at the sight! “Oh, mommy can we keep him? He’s so cute!” To my utter amazement, I stood there dumbfounded looking at the same little dog that I saw a few weeks earlier in the cat enclosure. My heart swelled, for at that moment I knew that that little dog had chosen me to go home with and to be his family.

I was handed the little precious package. His one eye found my two and he started whimpering. My daughter was thrilled that we were going to take him home. We just had one more pit stop to make before leaving the shelter…the office for “fosters”. Unfortunately, this little guy was still not adoptable as he was unhealthy and needed to be fostered back to health. We took on the challenge and completed the paperwork. The girls in the office wished us luck with “One Eyed Willie” as they liked to call him.

We climbed into the car holding the little bundle that proceeded to whimper for the next 2 hours. It’s odd how things turn out! This little Chihuahua chose us! As it happens, the paperwork was mysteriously lost and no record of the foster could be found. We had inherited a family member. That was five years ago!

At the time of the “fostering”, we were told that “Willie” was approximately eight to ten years old, he was blind in one eye, had a broken jaw in two places, was balding on his hind end due to severe fleas and his blood count wasn’t so good. I’m happy to report that Willie is healthy, happy, has other canine family members, a wardrobe that anyone would love, and 24/7 pampering. Although he remains blind in one eye and has a broken jaw (due to a blow to the side of his head…it’s what the shelter thought), he has risen to a chubby weight of just over four pounds and will happily lie in your lap to give of his generous love!

I hope that Willie’s story inspires you to rescue a dog, a cat, any homeless and needy animal. There are so many out there that are just waiting for loving homes. Fill your heart and home with love as we have and you’ll never be lonely and your heart will be full!

To all the little Chihuahua’s out there…hang in there…your family is coming!