The view out of the cage in the pet store never changed much.  Faces leered in, fingers pointed and once in awhile, someone would reach in to lift him out.  A quick cuddle, some high pitched squeals, then back in to the Box.  Day after day.  One month, then two, then three.  It was mind-numbing  to the puppy.  There was nothing to do, not even a bed to sleep on – just wire.  He could hear the others – sighing, moaning, unhappy puppy noises that mimicked his own.  Other puppies in the pet store, in cages above  him, below him and on all sides.  Monotonous, boring, restrictive, confining.  In a box. That was his world for the first months of his life. 

One day a man came in, and, seeing that the puppy’s purchase price had been greatly reduced because he was growing up in the cage, he purchased the puppy on a whim and took him home. He was the single father of a special needs child and he thought a puppy would be just the thing to make his child happy.  He carried the puppy home, without a thought to the food the puppy would need, no bed, no toys, no chew treats, no harness or leash… he wasn’t prepared to care for a new baby, a new family member but he didn’t realize that fact as he held the warm squirming bundle. 

Once home, reality set in almost immediately. The puppy was finally out of the Box!  He wanted to taste everything, explore everywhere, run as far and as fast as he could. Housetraining?  He had no clue what that was since he had just done everything right where he stood in that cage.  The father was horrified at the mess!  He was already worn out from caring for his child. The puppy turned out to be so much more work that he, too, resorted to the Cage. 

For three more months, the puppy was placed in solitary confinement.  The father called it ‘crating.’ The puppy called it jail.  Such isolation was mind numbing and spirit killing.  The father soon realized it too. He could not keep up with his responsibilities AND train a puppy.  With the usual sad resignation that people feel when giving away a dog to a shelter, he signed the papers, gave the puppy one last pat, turning, he walked out the door.  

The puppy was back in a Box.  How much time had he spent in a Box in his short life?  Almost all of it.  The puppy knew the routine.  Someone would walk by, stop, read the kennel card, shrug and move on. They thought something must be wrong with a puppy that was turned into a shelter. Just look at him – shaggy, unkempt, smelly, dirty, ratty looking. The puppy looked as forlorn as he felt, huddled and unhappy in the corner of his cage. There was no excitement, no tail wagging, no joy in his heart. There was no one coming to free him, no family to show up and release him. He was alone in this unknown, bad smelling world.  Life was scary. 

Cyn walked by the puppy’s cage on her way to pick up another dog for her rescue.  She had no intention of pulling another dog. She was not authorized to do so and the shelter people had not even mentioned that the puppy was there. But Cyn stopped when she saw him. His hopeless, terrified, friendlessness shone in his puppy eyes.  She could not leave him there. His heart was pounding when they opened the cage because he did not know what would happen next.  The shelter worker brought him out on a blue nylon noose looped around his neck.  Cyn was on the phone explaining the dire situation to the rescue board, asking for permission to pull the stinking, matted, terrified pup.  When the shelter workers realized that she would take him, they rushed him to the back for a neuter.  Within the next few hours, the puppy had surgery and was sleeping in a dog bed on his way to a new adventure. 

With the help of rescue volunteers, the sleepy puppy was transferred from vehicle to vehicle. He made it to the warm, caring home of a foster mom.  The puppy did not know it then, but his life had turned the corner.  Life would no longer be sad, friendless, and scary.  Starting today, life will be filled to the brim with dog brothers and sisters who welcomed him to their party.  The food was delicious, there were beds everywhere!  He felt bad though – that he smelled.  He wasn’t quite himself because of the pain meds from his surgery.  But life was definitely more interesting than the Box!

His new foster mom reports that Charlie Chipper (who doesn’t know his name – how could he? No one ever called him before) loves to ride in a car. Just loves the sights and moving along.  He walks happily on a leash – so happy to be outside, smelling the breeze, seeing the people and the trees, flowers – anything and everything, because he is out of the Box.  

Charlie is fine with the other dogs – he loves having someone to show him the ropes.  Children, people, men – all are friends to Charlie.  The food is great.  Charlie is learning that there is nothing to fear, lots to do, so much to smell and everything is interesting to him.  He knows one thing – he will never live in a Box again.  He’s paid his dues. From this point on, he wants to be out and moving, walking, running, investigating.  He’s not even a year old and this new life is what he needs to blossom.  

We are looking for someone with TIME, to spend with Charlie Chipper.  Someone with dog experience to help train Charlie. Someone who is ACTIVE!  That is hard to find in this country. Active people who walk every day.  Charlie needs that so much.  Another dog would be great.  A fenced yard would be icing on the cake.  Are you out there looking for someone to go running with you?  Someone to spend your life and time with, as you learn together to love life outside of a box.