Story

Charlie was surrendered to AARCS by a wonderful lady who saw his ad online and hoped to give him a loving home. Sadly she was deceived and Charlie was actually a stud in a puppy mill. He was in very rough shape and completely shut down, not responding to his surroundings at all. He could not do stairs and really had no idea how to be a dog. He had been shaved almost completely bald and was very thin.

When he arrived at our home, we could not get him to eat or drink and his little tongue was stuck out. We had to keep a bowl of water close by so we could use our fingers to put water on his tongue to keep it from drying out. My guess was that maybe he needed some dental work done so we booked him in ASAP to have him neutered and get his little mouth checked. Charlie had a very tough time in surgery and did not respond to the anesthetic very well and they almost lost him several times during the procedure. By the time they were done, they had pulled 13 teeth and had determined that the tendons that hold the right and left side of the bottom jaw had completely disintegrated and he will essentially have a broken jaw for the rest of his life. Because of this, he will be on soft food and treats for the rest of his life. Surgery could be done but it's costly and quite extensive and there is a good chance his body would not be able to handle it.

Once Charlie's pain started to subside, we saw wonderful changes in him. He is still a very timid and cautious little guy and possibly always will be but his curiousity gradually starts to take over and he is getting braver and more interested in things every day. He even started to play and follow the other dogs, doing what they do and has even begun to show a little bit of interest in the toys. He now shows interest in food and treats, his little nose works overtime and it has helped him gain the confidence to come take treats from us.

I am thrilled to say that Charlie has now returned home and they are prepared to do everything needed to make his recovery successful. He has an older sister Rosie to teach him the ropes and I am confident he will have an amazing life. I can't even imagine how awful the first half of Charlie's life was but luckily the second half will more than make up for that. I wish them all the best, Charlie is an amazing little dog. He was only with me a short time but I will remember him always.