Back in August, after fighting the rest of my family’s desire to get another dog, I gave in. Mostly because I said to Justin, “find me a male adult boxer, and we’ll talk.” Wouldn’t you know, our county shelter posted a picture of a “stray” male boxer in August. The shelter puts a 7 day hold on strays, to give folks time to come back, if they are the owner. The day came, he was still there, Justin and I tried to figure out just how we could get there right when they opened–he had to work, at least until noon, and I had a doctor’s appointment at 11. We would have to go after, and trust that if it was meant to be, he would still be there.
This is our second rescued boxer. 3 years ago, Maddie came into our lives, and 6 months later was gone. The individuals we “rescued” her from sold her for drug money. While we were told she was only 5, the truth was, she was probably much older. My heart broke into a million pieces when she left this world.
So, on the afternoon of August 23rd, Justin and I met at the shelter and rushed inside: “is the boxer still available?!” Keep in mind, dozens of individuals had shown interest in him, so I fully expected him to be gone. But there he was–skin and bones and as cute and can be. In his initial picture, we couldn’t tell just how skinny he was, which ended up being 20lbs underweight. He was a walking skeleton.
Also, he makes the silliest snorting noises when he sniffs, or while he’s eating. It’s constant, and hilarious. There was no way I could leave this sweet boy behind. The criteria had been met; the boxer had been adopted. And just like Maddie, he was the sweetest pup. His back legs are covered in scars, as is his nose and one ear. I would love to know his story: what was life like for you before us??
I instantly decided his name had to be Rufus. And for anyone who knows me, my dogs each have a voice to go with their personality. Bruce (the pug) has a lisp, and a bit of a crotchety old man attitude. Emma (our “mutty boxer”) is a fast talker, and highly excitable. Rufus is southern. And slow. And that boy drawls. He’s a little dopey, a lot doofy, and just seems to spend his life in a “dum-de-dum” sort of way.
Here’s the thing about the south, and dogs. This is not upstate NY. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are animal lovers in the Georgia/Alabama states, but there is a whole lot of neglect. The woman at the shelter was complaining to us that they tend to get the same “stray” dogs, and after the second time your dog is picked up by animal control, you have to pay to get your puppy back. She also told us people will wait the full 7 days before coming to get their dog. I wanted to turn around and ask if we could bring every dog home from the shelter.
The other thing that goes with animal neglect, is Heartworm. And wouldn’t you know, Rufus was the lucky recipient of the “Heartworm Positive” diagnosis. I had expected it, honestly. I knew it would be expensive, but this boy was a million times worth it. So, away we went.
There are a few things you need to know about boxers if you’ve never met one. They don’t know the definition of “personal space.” They snore. They drool. They “kidney bean,” which is this silly thing where they twist their bodies in half and walk toward you, while also showing you their buns. They also love to rough house. Now, the thing about Heartworm treatment, is that during treatment your dog has to be on “restrictions,” basically kept docile. The reason being that, while the worms are dying, they break up and and carried away in the blood stream. These dead worm chunks can then cause blockages or clots.
This is the halfway point in the treatment of Rufus. His first round of treatment meant that after his shot, he had to stay at the vet overnight, and in 24 hours poor Emma nearly died of a broken heart. The second round of treatment was 2 shots in two days, and 2 nights at the vet. The vet employees always tell me how much they love Rufus. “He’s the sweetest boy, and he makes the silliest sounds!” One tech refers to him as her “friend Rufus, who makes the piggy sounds.” I hated the idea of him having to stay over, especially since he came to us after being abandoned. Honestly though, he’s so laid back, he really doesn’t seem to care. Every time I go to pick him up, the dogs that come out before him are always excited to see me: “oh my gosh you’re here! You came! I’m going home!” They don’t care that I am not their human. Rufus comes out the same way every time: “oh hey. What are you doing here?” Again, he’s has a very “dum-de-dum” personality.
While our luck with rescuing boxers is not the greatest, I have no regrets. With Maddie, our time was short, but she got to live the last 6 months of her life absolutely loved. With Rufus, he has plenty of years ahead of him, and in a couple months he’ll no longer have plenty of heart worms.
