My name is Big Boy!

**Big Boy lives in Houston, Texas and is available for out of state adoption. His adoption fee is $450, which includes the cost of his airline flight, travel crate, comfy bed and travel documents. The crate and bed are brand new and are his to use once he arrives to his new family. He is available to “meet” via video chat with an approved adoption application. Big Boy will remain in Houston until he is adopted. If you are interested in making this very special survivor your next furry family member, please email us at adoptions@reggiesfriends.org.**

We see a lot of really terrible things that have happened to our strays in Houston prior to their rescues and this case is nothing short of that, but for Big Boy there is now hope. Big Boy was affectionately named because he was the largest and the only male in a stray trio living in a wooded area by a cattle pasture. An amazingly compassionate lady spotted these dogs on her way to work one day and from that moment on, she was driven to make a difference for these three dogs.

Big Boy most likely had never had much human interaction or if he did, it wasn’t a positive experience because it took months for this kind lady to actually gain his trust. She fed him on a daily basis for 6 straight months and fortunately he was staying off of the roads and in a safe place. He was able to survive with the food and water that she would bring. Finally in April 2014, it was decided that they couldn’t stay out there any longer. Big Boy had a very large wound on the side of his face and an old, very extensive wound to his right front paw and he wasn’t going to survive the infections if he didn’t get medical attention. It was time to make an enormous difference in these three lives.

Big Boy is a Staffordshire Terrier/ Great Dane mix with the most adorable big black patches on his white coat. He is estimated at 3 years old now and has been living and learning to be a pet over the last year with our rescue rehabilitators. He is about 70 pounds now and he looks amazing. It was a long road during his recovery, but he’s adapted so well to people now that it’s hard to believe that he was so distrusting before.

Big Boy had to visit the vet quite often in the beginning for the wounds. The facial wound healed with attention and medication, but the foot was a different story. We heard from another person that was feeding these dogs that during his months of living in the woods that Big Boy was seen with a bear trap on his front leg. This trap was no longer a part of his life when his rescuer came into the picture, but the foot was already damaged and 3 of his toes were missing. His wounds are consistent with that very type of injury and he will live with a bit of a disability the rest of his life because of this heartless act by a human. It pains us to think of his daily survival in that condition and the cruelty inflicted upon him.

His old injury does cause him to limp often, but after the veterinarian examined it, it was determined that it was fully healed and no surgical correction was possible. The vet said that trying to work on it would cause him unnecessary pain with very little chance it would be beneficial in the long run. He can put weight on that foot and he can run around like a normal dog too. He just can’t go as far without needing a break. Generally his walks are about30- 45 minutes long at a nice, steady pace a couple of times per day. If he gets really worn out, he can lose his balance and stumble a bit. He knows his limitations well and doesn’t overdo it often.

Big Boy doesn’t let things from his past get him down. He’s moved on with his life and wants to continue living as a pet, but his biggest wish is to do that with his own family. Possibly because of his past, he is a dominant male and would do best in a situation where he could be the only dog in the home. This guy really loves life and the only thing he loves more are his people. He leans into them to let them know he loves them, he wiggles so much out of excitement and he seems to have a “never met a stranger” attitude. We love that he’s overcome his fears and lets us be the best part of his life thus far. We certainly don’t mind taking a back seat to a real family though.

Big Boy is currently living in a boarding facility, but he dreams of having a family and not having to be in his kennel as often. He is very excitable at first, but he settles down once he has a routine and more exercise, which he will clearly have with a new family. Despite the deformity of his foot, he needs more exercise and attention than a facility can offer him. Because of his zest for life and excitability, he pulls on his leash during walks and he’s a larger dog, so he needs a person that is willing to continue working on that skill with him who can be the more dominant personality of the pair. Big Boy knows the command “sit” and this is helpful when walking too.

Big Boy’s ideal situation is a loving family that wants to take him everywhere they go, but understands that all of these things he is getting to experience are new to him and he’s highly excitable and happy about them. He needs to have boundaries set and followed, but still able to explore, learn and experience what being a dog is all about. He is very treat motivated, so training in that fashion has been helpful. He is a large, strong, young, active pup, so he needs exercise. He thinks cats were put on this Earth to annoy him, so he doesn’t need a cat companion in his new family. He’s never hurt anyone at all and would never do so intentionally, but we can see how very small children could get knocked over and potentially hurt with him around and especially since he is not accustomed to having little people around to watch out for.

Big Boy is not perfect, but he is very deserving of the type of love we all wish for…just being part of a family. He’s a goofy, fun-loving survivor of the harsh streets and he is ready to take the next steps. He is neutered, microchipped, fully vaccinated and heartworm negative. He currently lives in Houston, Texas and he is available for out of state adoption to a family without other furry kids in the house. His adoption fee is $450, which includes his airline ticket, his travel crate, comfy bed and his travel documents. The crate and bed are brand new and are his to use once he arrives to his new family. If you are interested in making this very special survivor your next furry family member, please email us at adoptions@reggiesfriends.org.