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Muzzy's Story
Hi! It’s me,
Muzzy. My story did not start out very well, but
don't worry... it has a happy ending.

This is me earning my first
qualifying leg in Excellent Jumpers in agility with a 3rd Place.
© Photo by M. Nicole Fischer - Non Sporting Trial, Port Jervis NY,
December 2006
My first home
was not so nice to me and I guess they didn't want me, though I
don't understand why, since I try very hard to be the very best dog
I can be. I had been
living on my own with no one to care for me and I only weighed 40
lbs. when I should have weighed about 60 lbs. Animal Control in Redlion, PA found me, and said I
was a "stray." They took me to a place called an Animal
Shelter. They were very nice to me there, but I was so
frightened.

Muzzy at the shelter... you could see every
rib and vertebrae

I was so
skinny that my bones rubbed when I would sit or lie down, and I had
pressure sores on my hips and chest. My ears and skin had
terrible infections that made me very uncomfortable. But even
worse than my physical problems, I felt sad, abandoned and alone in
the world.
July 26,
2003 was my re-birthday. That is the day I was adopted and went home with my
new family. My mom saw my picture on a website called
Petfinder, and she said she
fell in love with me on the spot.

Muzzy's picture on Petfinder
My
bio said I needed "a few trips to the all you can eat buffet."
Sounds good to me! But I digress... I promised a happy ending,
so let's get back to that.
Everything
at my new house was a little scary at first. In the beginning,
I was too afraid to eat and did not want to come out of my crate.
But my new mom would lie on the floor by my crate and just talk to
me. She would say, "Fuzzy Muzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Muzzy had no
hair, Fuzzy Muzzy wasn't fuzzy was she." I wasn't sure what
that meant, but I liked it. I could tell by her voice that she
wanted to be friends, and deep down, a friend is what I wanted more
than anything in the world.

So after a
while, I decided to come out and lie down by her side, so she could
stroke my soft ears while she talked to me.

We went
for walks together and she fed me from her hand. She told me
what a good and beautiful dog I was, that I was safe now and that no
one would ever hurt me again. Sometimes she would cry when she
talked to me. I didn't understand at the time, but now that I
know her better, I know that she was sad because of the way I had
been treated. Little by little, I realized that I could trust
her and that I had finally found someone who loved me.
 |
The top photo is me after I had been in my new home about 3
weeks. My weight was up to 48 lbs.
This
bottom photo is me about 5 months later at 60 lbs.
|
We also
spent a lot of time at the vet's office the first 8 months I was
here trying to get my ear infections and skin infections fixed up.
We finally found out I was allergic to fish and fish oil, and once I
started eating different food, I got better quickly.

And we
started going to classes. First obedience class and
then agility class. Mom said it was to help "build my
confidence," whatever that means. At first I was very nervous.
Mom offered me lots of great treats in class, but I was too afraid
to take them. When I wasn't sure what to do, I would just lie
down on the floor. I thought that was better than doing
something wrong. But everyone was very
patient, and I learned no one would hurt me for doing the wrong
thing. So I kept improving and trying my very best. Mom
kept saying how smart and good I was, and eventually I started to
think maybe she was right.
After a
while, mom and I tried competing in obedience, agility and rally.
Mom got me an ILP number from AKC (for purebred dogs who are not
registered with AKC but want to compete in performance events) so we could compete. She had
to choose a registered name for me, and she decided to call me
Redlion Fu Z Mu Z Wuza Bear... sounds pretty fancy doesn't it? Redlion
is for the town where she found
me, and the rest is because of the "Fuzzy Muzzy was a bear" nursery rhyme
she used to recite for me when I first came to live here. Mom
says it reminds her of where we started out, and all the titles that
get added to my name remind her of where we've gone from there.

We
have won lots of ribbons and toys (Lulu takes all the toys) and earned lots of titles. Mom
is very proud of me. And you know what... I am proud of
myself too. I would do anything my mom asked of me ... at least I try very hard. And the best part is mom and I get to spend lots of
time together. To read about all my accomplishments,
click here.

I am
also a Therapy Dog. I visit seniors at an adult day care
center and an assisted living facility. The people there are
very happy when I visit, and tell me how sweet and beautiful and
gentle I am. I can tell some of them are sad and lonely and I
know how that feels, so I rest my head on their laps and let them
hold my paw and stroke my head. I think they know I
understand.

So
that is my happy ending story. Today I have a home where it's
warm, and people love me and I have my own special spot on the bed.
I don't worry about my next meal anymore. Those days are a
distant memory now. I have seen the very worst and the very
best of people, and I remember the worst only so I never forget to
appreciate the best.
Love,
Muzzy XXO
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