Gunny

Entrant's First Name
Megan

Your Pet's Rescue Story
Back when I worked at an animal shelter a small long hair dachshund was brought in. He laid curled in his kennel, never moving. One day as they were cleaning his cage they set him in a large pen outside, and that's when he seemed to come to life. He barked and spun in circles desperate for attention.

I felt so bad for him, clearly it was the kennel that was making him depressed. I brought him home as a foster. He was in a bad way both mentally and physically. He couldn't walk in a straight line, but spun everywhere he went. This combined with the depression in the kennel led us to believe he had been in a small contained space his whole life.

He was terrified, and skinny. But with lot's of love and patience, we started reaching him. He was so brave my father dubbed him 'Gunnery' Sergeant Bohland, and his name Gunny stuck. Though life treated Gunny very badly he was never vicious. Training was difficult, but he learned to tell us he had to go outside, and after several years finally stopped spinning everywhere he went.

Obviously Gunny was a foster failure. He won us all over. He lived with us happily for almost ten years before crossing the rainbow bridge. Though I miss him everyday, I will always remember him. A little crazy, but all love, he won over everyone who visited with his unabashed silliness.