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Ziggy

My daughter was working at the pound while studying to be a Veterinarian’s Assistant.
There was a little black and white puppy who had been passed over for a couple of weeks and was scheduled to be euthanized. One of my daughters duties was to prepare the animals for the procedure. It broke her heart to do it and when it came time to destroy the black and white pup she couldn’t do it. When she pulled him from his cage he buried his face in her smock, shaking and crying so mournfully her heart broke and she wept too.
He didn’t want to die. He was so smart, he had learned to understand what happened to the dogs and cats who were not adopted and he knew what was in store if he was taken into the back of the pound.
My daughter told her supervisor she could no longer help with euthanizing and took the dog to the front to adopt him. The folks at the pound were very upset with her and she was suspended for a week but she brought Ziggy home.
It’s no small task for a single girl to raise a puppy while working full time and going to school. We helped puppy sit and soon she had a beautiful, athletic adolescent dog.
Ziggy was the fastest and most athletic dog I had ever seen and I qualify that statement by the fact my father raised champion bird hunting dogs. Shorthair Pointers.
Unfortunately for Ziggy, his knees were not as strong as the rest of his leg muscles
and he needed reconstructive surgery on both knees. $2500. No guarantee either.
My daughter didn’t have the money and neither did we. We all discussed that he might need to be euthanized and he immediately limped to the barn, crawled underneath and howled pitifully. He still knew what it meant and he refused to come out, even for food. Two days later, I was able to borrow the money for the Ziggy’s surgeries. When I told my daughter I had the funds and to call the surgeon and set a date. She ran to the barn and told Ziggy “Dad says we can fix your legs and you get to live!”
I swear this on a stack of Bibles, that dog came out from under the barn, limped over to me and licked my hand. Soon both knees were reconstructed and Ziggy was on his way to a full recovery. I owed more debt for the dog than my automobile but the joy this dog brings to our family is worth a million dollars. Here is a picture of my daughters dog Ziggy with his prize plush toy and our dog Celtic Lady.

Beto from TX

ziggy