Let's just say that Arthur has been a bit of a problem child for our now retired foster and his new mother. Luckily for him, neither gave up on him. His problems were not his fault, of course. He had been abandoned at a Maryland shelter in deplorable condition: frightened, emaciated, and full of ticks. Our groomer estimated that there were as many as 500 ticks draining Arthur's blood. It made me sick when I saw him. The ticks were imbedded in his flesh, and I could feel every bone in his little body. Still, he managed to wag his tail at me.
The first thing he did when I put him in my jeep was sleep. He crashed big time. I think it was the first decent rest he had had in who knows how long. I can only imagine the abuse he endured at someone's cruel hands. While Arthur showed an endearing habit of hugging people with his paws and a playful love of squeaky toys, he was fearful of many things, and he let us know it. You might say he was his own worst enemy, and there were some tense moments for everyone concerned. Arthur is still working through some behavior issues that became more and more apparent the longer we had him.
In the final analysis, Arthur is a lucky boy. His foster family traveled a long distance to place him in his Illinois home. I cannot thank them enough for their generous devotion to him and to all the Cockers they have fostered over the years. We will miss their care much more than they probably know.
Special thanks also to the kind lady who did the house check for us. You helped us find a winner of a home for our needy charge. And on that note, I especially want to thank Arthur's adoptive mother for caring enough to go the distance with him, working through problems with patience and love. He needs so much reassurance to be the sweet dog he really wants to be.
Arthur is now going to obedience classes and getting better every day. He also has a new name -- Spencer. I don't care what they call him, as long as they love him, and it sounds like they really do.
