Charlie's Story, Success Stories, Animal Care and Regulation

I was at an animal event in 2004 with my toy poodle. An animal control officer asked me if I wanted to adopt another toy poodle from the shelter. I explained that the timing just wasn’t right, when the officer added, “He’s a little old soul and he’s in sick bay. He’s being put down on Tuesday.” She then handed me his shelter card.

I couldn’t seem to get him out of my mind, so I went to the shelter that Tuesday as soon as it opened. There he lay, all alone in a kennel; he didn’t make a sound or move; I immediately burst into tears. I begged the shelter worker to put off euthanizing him for two days… and promised I’d be back.

So I adopted Charlie on August 26, 2004.

Charlie immediately fit in with my three other pets. Charlie came to me housebroken and would bark his old man bark when he needed to go out. He had a Charlie Chaplain kind of walk and would often toddle to the farthest corner of the back lawn and rub his face in the grass as if to say, “It’s a great day to be alive!” Every so often he’d bark, play and dance in the family room chasing me around like a puppy.

In April 2006, my little Charlie passed away after a final bout with seizures. He was about 17-18 years old.
Charlie was a polite, sweet, appreciative, loving, eccentric, team player of a dog who asked for absolutely nothing from me and gave me more companionship, laughs, love and patience than I could ever have imagined. There will never be another Charlie.

This story is not only in remembrance of Charlie, but a lesson that Charlie teaches to all of us: it’s never too late to have a second chance; you’re never too old to have fun; be kind to others; you’re only as old as you feel; and it’s some of the simplest things in life that are the most rewarding.

If you or a friend is ever thinking about bringing a new pet into your life, please consider first adopting from a local shelter. Older animals can often times be the hardest one’s to find homes for, and yet they can make the most perfect pets. Pets give so much in return for our kindness--even if just for a short time.

Valya

Charles Montgomery; aka “Charlie Bean”