A Loving Home at Last…Max’s Story

It can be so painful to lose a pet. Sometimes it feels as if we may never recover from such a loss. It can also be hard to open our hearts to another animal, knowing that we could get our hearts broken once more. I was reminded though that even when it seems as if you could never open your heart to another dog, there are still so many dogs that need your help out there. And quite possibly you may need them as well.

Kammy Shaw in Ontario, Canada writes about losing one dog and finding new love in another. When her beloved dog was lost to Parvo, she swore she would never get another dog. The idea of it was just too painful. Then one day she happened upon a picture of a dog at the Thunder Bay District Humane Society and fell in love. The dog's name was Tommy and he had such a sad story to match his sad eyes. She knew that she could give him a loving home and hoped that maybe they could heal each other's broken hearts.

There was paper work to do and a waiting period, but Kammy finally was able to bring Tommy home. He was shy and anxious. The poor dog had obviously had lived his first four years in pain and suffering. It was going to take some work to get him to feel comfortable in his own skin. As the days ticked along he made slow progress and Kammy noticed he didn't answer to the name Tommy, so she changed it to "Max." He responded the first time she said his new name, so Max it was.

Max is terrified of small children and men, shaking uncontrollably when either is around. He hates loud noises and sudden movements. He had no idea how to play and didn't know what to think of a ball. In fact, he still runs away from balls. He was finally stared to chew on raw hide toys and play a bit with Kammy's cat. They keep trying and Max gets a little better all the time.

It was several months after Max had come home that Kammy learned the rest of his history. It turned out that he had spent the first two years of his life tied to a four-foot chain with no shelter, water or love. He was fed pig feed along with the other 25 dogs chained up around him. All 26 dogs were seized by the Human Society. Many of the were injury and unhealthy and some did not make a full enough recovery to be adopted into homes.

Max himself spent two years at the Humane Society, but is slowly growing into his new life, healing and interacting. Max and Kammy bonded instantly. Although it may be a long time before he completely recovers from the unkindness of his past, Kammy is certain they were meant find one another and heal each other's hearts.