Dudley
was my very first rescue. Dudley is an American Clumber that
wasn’t living in a puppy mill, owned by the Amish, or by a
backyard breeder; but none the less he was a rescue. Dudley was
bought to be a show dog but either he didn’t have what it took
or his owner somewhere along the way changed his mind.
The
first time I saw him it was love at first sight. Looking back now
at the pictures, it had to have been for he looked awful and
weighed only 49 pounds.
My
daughter Krystal went with me to pick him up and she agreed to
drive home so we could “get to know each other”. Needless to
say I almost rubbed what little hair he had, off, as he had been
completely shaven.
I knew nothing
about his background and I didn’t care. Dudley had been living
in a kennel where he lived for the first five years of his life.
As I mentioned earlier he was bought to be a show dog but when
that idea didn’t pan out, he was all but forgotten. He would
still be there had it not been for a lovely lady who worked at the
kennel. She talked his owner into letting her find him a good
home.
Dudley
came to me not knowing much of anything as he’d been locked up
his entire life living on concrete. He didn’t know what grass
was and was actually afraid of it. He had no idea what dogs are
supposed to do, not do, etc. I had him for a day and he walked out
of a two story window and broke his hind leg. It never occurred to
me that he wouldn’t know about heights. He saw me outside in the
yard beneath the window and walked right out as if he could fly.
There was nothing I could do but stare in horror.
It
was a weekend as it seems that is when all catastrophes occur so
we took him to the emergency animal clinic and once they x-rayed
his leg, it was determined they could not repair it. They sent us
home to wait until Monday, this was Friday.
First
thing Monday morning we were at my vet’s office waiting for them
to open. Dr. Elledge took a look at the x-ray and said he could
repair the break. Surgery was scheduled and plates and pins were
put in.
Dudley
and I spent many nights sleeping in the bathroom floor together;
he needed me and I wanted him to know I was there for him. He and
I grew closer each day and now he is my shadow and never gets too
far away from me and even when we are outside, he checks often to
see where I am. He has been with me for almost three years and he
is still learning “dog” things. Roofus, his Clumber friend has
taught him what water is for besides drinking and Dudley enjoys
the creek and pond as much as all the others.
Dottie,
another Clumber friend, has taught him how to “play” and he can
even do the Clumber wiggle dance as well as any Clumber I’ve
seen.
His
favorite thing is to snuggle in my lap and I must say it is a
favorite of mine as well.
Dudley
came in with a broken spirit, was skin and bones and hardly had
any hair; he has gone from being an ugly duckling to a beautiful
swan. It took several surgeries to repair his leg but now Dudley
is healthy, handsome and happy.
Dudley stole my
heart and my love and admiration for the breed grew by leaps and
bounds and he was the reason I decided to do Clumber Spaniel
rescue. His wasn’t a horrible story but unfortunately for him,
he was forgotten and shoved aside without any regard for his well
being.
Some
people say that you can’t make up for lost time or mistakes made
but for Dudley this has not been true. Once he was given a real
home and became part of a family, he grew into the Clumber he was
meant to be.
Update
(08/2008) Dudley
and I celebrated our
second anniversary in August and I still look at him with awe as
he was my first Clumber. He fills my heart with joy and pride
every time he “lopes” over to see what I am doing. Dudley is
still my shadow and never gets too far away from me, but he has
grown independent enough that he will let me out of his sight for
a few minutes at a time. He has come to know what a “real”
life is and how to enjoy it.
He
came to McLendon Land as the only clumber but now he shares his
home with many others and has learned with some coaxing how to
share and take his turn. Sharing me has been the hardest lesson
for him to learn. Dudley came to me not knowing much of anything,
but now he will sit on command, loves to hike in the woods, loves
to visit the creek, and more importantly has learned about
heights. He still has a hard time getting over big rocks and
around fallen trees but he manages and has a great time living. I
classify a good day as a day being spent with Dudley hiking
through the woods, watching him do all the things he missed out on
during his early years.
I
cannot imagine my life without Dudley as he will always be
“first” in my heart and I will never forget the day I met him
– that day changed my life and paved the road for a love that
even I was unprepared for. Just the mere thought of Dudley
brings a huge smile to my face and I automatically think how
blessed I was when I was chosen to share my home with this big,
white, wonderful angel of a dog.
|