Ben

Ben was turned into a local animal shelter 5 years ago when his owners were cited for his nuisance barking. This handsome chocolate boy named Tiger was constantly chained and obviously lonely for human companionship. When his owners were asked Tiger's breed, they called him "an old brown dog." Unneutered and heartworm positive, we knew this dog would be with LRR for awhile, possibly taking away space from other needy labs. It's the classic dilemma facing many rescues who only have so much space with so many labs in need. But, when we saw the shelter workers hugging and kissing on this dog, we knew he must be special. Sure enough, wherever Tiger (renamed Gentle Ben by his foster Dad) went, swarming admirers would follow, including having nearly round the clock attention from vet staff during his heartworm treatment, just because he was so loveable. When it was finally time for Ben to be adopted, we knew he had to go to special owners. We were fortunate to find such a couple who took Ben to work with them everyday (along with their older lab female, BJ and cat, Genni). He took to his new animal family very quickly, as this picture shows.

All was wonderful until the husband became ill and died. But during those dark days, Ben was vital in helping his Mom get through her grief. This once nuisance barker, who rarely barks now, was also there to share in the mourning for BJ and Genni when they passed away. His Mom tells us constantly that she could not have made it through all these rough times without Ben. Not long ago, she thought it was time for Ben to have a playmate. Even at 10, Ben enjoys playing and had actually been caught playbowing to squirrels and deer! She wanted another "brown dog", and at the time, Rudy, under a year old, was a gangly lab mix with some chocolate (and Lord knows what else) in him and the closest "brown dog" we had. Perhaps it was his homeliness that won her over, but soon Rudy became part of the family, and Ben was thrilled to have such a playful little brother. Having been thrown out of a moving car with his little sister and suffering a broken leg, Rudy had his own fears to overcome. His new family has showered him with attention and when last we saw Rudy, he had a confidence we didn't think possible. A new kitty has also been adopted, so the animal family is complete again. Recently, we learned they will all be moving to Florida into a house that was selected for its comfort to the animals. Beach walks and ocean swims will be a daily event. While we will miss having them close, we wish them all the best and know that Ben and Rudy will be good ambassadors for pet rescue.