Some things are meant to be. Speedy a little back and white border collie mix waited at the dog pound for nearly a month for us. The girl who brought him out of the pen said no one was interested in him and his days on earth were numbered.

One day out of the blue about three years ago my husband brought up the idea of getting a small dog for the house. Infact by the time he shared this news with me, had already done a preliminary visit to the local animal shelter and had picked out three candidates. I remember thinking that it was an unexpected idea. I had no clue that it was fate. He told me to look into the eyes of the border collie. That he was special.

The first two dogs seemed a little high energy for our small home and I decided they probably wouldn’t be the best fit for living inside. Then I looked and found Speedy just sitting quietly by the front of his pen. And I looked into his piercing brown eyes and it was game over. He didn’t jump or bark. He just watched me like I was watching him. He came with me to the getting acquainted room and I will never forget what he did next. There was a full length window to the outdoors and he walked over and looked out. He seemed to be starving for a glimpse of the free world. And then he came and sat by me on the couch. After a quick cell call to Gerry at work it was official. Speedy (formerly kown as Shady) would be coming home.

The hair on his checked had been shaved very short and I asked why. The explanation I got was that he had a collar that was too tight.

It turns out that Speedy had been in pound twice before. The first time dumped as a puppy and then adopted by a family who ended up abusing him. Neighbors called the shelter to report that he was not being fed or given fresh water. Animal control officers made a welfare check and found him with a cable around his neck and pinned under a bicycle. They freed him and left note on the door of the house. Later they went back for him because it was obvious he wasn’t being cared for. The wire around his neck was tight to the point of skin growing around it and it had to be surgically removed. Speedy will always have a scar that stretches across his chest and around his neck from this bad time in his life.

Three years later he is king of our household. Each night he squeezes between Gerry and I in bed and usually ends up with more space than either of us. He follows us from room to room and can nearly always be found resting at our feet. He is the best found treasure. He is part of our family and he knows it. He gets lots of walks with his big bernese mountain dog brother and sister and isn’t afraid to herd them as he feels necessary. Six months ago another rescue dog joined our “ranch”. His name is “Bear” and he is a mix of husky and australian shepard and is absolutely crazy fun. We love them all. But Speedy? He is the most cherished dog of the bunch.

Eva from AK