Smokey came into my life through Multnomah County Animal Control. He had been seized from him owner due to extreme neglect and abuse. He lived on the end of a 4ft chain without a water source and food seemed to be intermittent. His behavior showed he had been regularly beaten. He remained in the shelter for over three weeks while ownership was revoked, and refused to come into the indoor portion of the run, sitting and shaking in the rain. The trainer at the shelter took a special liking to this guy and sent emails around to various rescue groups looking to find someone that would be willing to take on this extreme rehab case. Her email found its way to me, and I contacted the shelter and told them I would come and look at him. Upon arrival at the shelter I learned a bit more about him, he had a "dead" stare that made the staff nervous, he would shake constantly and appeared very scared and uncomfortable in his own skin. With a kennel lead in hand, I told the shelter person that was helping me that if I could put the leash on him, he could come with me. I walked outside of his kennel, he was soaking wet and smelled terrible, a strip of rot down his back from never getting dry.. He gazed up at me stopped shaking for a moment, I placed the kennel lead over his head and he immediately got up and we walked out of the shelter together. That was the first day this soon to be beautiful creature entered my life. It was two days before Christmas 2005.

Smokey spent the next three months in a side room in my house that had a crate in it. He felt safe in there and rarely came out. Everyday I sat and petted him and talked to him, taking him with me to my grooming shop where he made himself a bed under the counter. He wouldn't let anyone touch him or approach him without shaking and chattering his teeth in fear. After 18 months, he still would not let my husband anywhere near him, however he had gotten to trust me enough that he would walk around the house and interact with the other dogs in the home. It became very clear after about 6 months, Smokey was deaf. His immersion program of going everywhere with me was working through his fears and he was blossoming. He had left his little room and joined the pack in full force. He made himself a bed on the couch by my desk. He attended doggie daycare at our second shop and loved to meet new dogs and every dog that met him adored him. He was everyones friend.

In March 2008, the Columbian did an article on grooming and a picture of Smokey getting a bath by me was on the front page of the business section. That night, Smokey bloated and was rushed to Emergency Vet. He spent four days on IVs after surgery (which I elected to do even though the odds were not good) since he had come so far, I couldn't let him stop now. It took many months for him to actually begin acting like himself again. But he did recover. This boy was a real trooper.

On June 26th 2009 we forever lost our dear Smokey. I remember most his talking and dancing at feeding time, running across the property with a little prance and a huge smile from ear to ear. He loved Christmas and would gaze out the car windows at all the bright christmas lights with a his tougue hanging out of his mouth and a smile on his face. He would come up to me lay his head in my lap to get a ear rub and would literally melt into me as I rubbed and petted him. And how content and peaceful he looked when he was sleeping. While he was 5 years old when I took him in, his final four years allowed him to move beyond all that had happened in his cruel past and blossom into a happy, friendly, sparkling creature that enjoyed his new life to the fullest.

Smokey had come to my home a broken mess. He died a beloved member of our pack. We will always love and treasure the years we had together and know that he left this earth loved and adored by so many.

Thank you for this opportunity to share Smokey's story.

Colleen C.