I´ve watched Max staring at me through those dark, shining eyes that have gotten softer in the last few days. But I can imagine the thoughts going through his mind. Are you going to hurt me? Can I trust you? Can I love you?
When we brought Max home, he was a mental wreck. He tucked his tail, wouldn´t eat, and refused anything handfed. Every quick motion scared him. Every time we came out the door into the garage, he´d run and cower in fear. I could see visions in my mind of what had scared Max in the past. His is an old, all too familiar story.
It´s only been a few days, and Max still shies away from the door, but he only moves away a little, his tail wagging. It´s a good beginning but only a beginning.
We watched Max as he walked. He favored his right front leg, and I noticed a slight lump on the front of it. A veterinarian friend checked it and told me the dog´s leg had been broken. He suspected a pin or staples had been put into it. He said that Max was about three years old.
Again, I wondered what kind of a life Max had endured. When we rescued him, he was thin, but all in all, in pretty good shape. His hair is a bit course, but a few extra egg yokes gets the hair back in shape.
Over the next few weeks and months, there´ll be setbacks and victories, good days and bad. But in time, Max will be a good friend. The broken spirit will mend, the nightmares will fade. A dog without hope will come to find a loving home, gentle voices, and hands that will never hurt him again. Somewhere along the way, Max has received obedience training. He´s leash trained and knows commands like down, stay, and heel. He is quite well mannered, housebroken, and very quiet.
Somewhere along the way, everything went very wrong for Max.
Fortunately for him, that´ll change now. He´s already getting used to my wife Ronni´s home cooking. The expression in his eyes, when he looks at her, is priceless. He can´t seem to get enough hugs or petting, but we´re working on it.
Sometimes Max will lie down with his head on my foot. I´ll pet his head and rub his ears. He´ll look up at me with those warm and trusting eyes. Last night, I went out to the garage and lay down with him. Gently rubbing his leg I told Max that I knew. He seemed to know what I was saying and pressed even closer to me, resting his head on my arm.
I can´t bring myself to put "The End" on this story. So let´s just say, "Max, To Be Continued."
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
What have rescued animals brought with them to your home?