Luckily for Guido, his groomer cared a lot about him and his mom! When the groomer called to make an appointment for Guido's "spa day" and couldn't reach his mom, she and her husband got worried and went to their house to check on them. They could see Guido barking frantically in the window, but no one answered the door. Realizing that something was wrong, they found an open door and discovered his mom's body!
After the police arrived, the groomer and her husband took Guido home with them to keep him safe and prevent him from being taken to the shelter. He had already been through a terrible ordeal! His mom had had a heart attack, and Guido had been alone with her body for 3-4 weeks! Thank God the groomer and her husband rescued him!
Three weeks went by. The authorities had difficulty locating his mom's sister on the East Coast, and the groomer eventually contacted BARK for assistance. We appealed to our supporters for someone to foster Guido until his mom's sister could be found.
Moments after we sent our appeal, the phone rang. It was one of our supporters, calling to say that she was Guido's breeder! She recognized him from his unusual name and the photos we sent. She said he could come live with her for the rest of his life.
Our volunteers picked Guido up from his groomer, and his breeder came to get him. Even though he hadn't seen his breeder since he was a puppy 12 years ago, he was excited to see her and immediately gave her kisses! He obviously remembered her!
It took the authorities a month to locate his mom's sister. By then, if he'd been taken to the shelter, Guido would have been euthanized! In the midst of her grief, the sister was relieved to know that he was safe. She agreed to let him stay with his breeder, to live out his life in comfort as a member of the family.
Guido's story has a happy ending! We've posted it here for the lessons it teaches us:
• If you live alone, arrange with a friend or family member to check on you if they don't hear from you regularly! The neighbors said they hadn't seen Guido's mom in a month... but they didn't think to knock on her door! If the groomer hadn't become worried and decided to investigate, Guido would have starved to death.
• Arrange for your pets' care if something happens to you! Line up a caregiver (a friend or relative, breeder or rescue group...) who agrees to care for your pet(s). Carry an emergency ID card in your wallet and post emergency contact information in your home, so the caregiver(s) will be contacted.
Guido was incredibly lucky that his groomer saved him! Don't leave your beloved companions' fate to chance! Please visit
2nd Chance 4 Pets to learn how to ensure your pets are cared for!
