Imagine living the first 3 years of your life under the overpasses of Culver City bike path? Being born there, hot in the summers, cold in the winters, the noise, the smells and the constant fear of not knowing where your next meal would come from and how you would make it to tomorrow. This was little Romeo's reality for THREE long years, until he was captured by Animal Control. Needless to say, he was not exactly the most cooperative pup, and quickly became a candidate for the dreaded needle. Fortunately, one of our Sachi Animal Rescue volunteer happened to be there that day. Whether Romeo knew this was the end of the road for him or not, our volunteer swears his eyes pleaded with her for help. She did not turn away, did not avert his gaze and decided against the advice of Animal Control to take him out. This turned out to be a more difficult task than anticipated, as Romeo had never been touched by humans before and was not about to let this happen. He was as feral as they come, growling, snarling and lunging. Yes, this was going to be a challenging endeavor for SAR. We faced it head on, determined to not let this dog down. Fast forward to today: Romeo is now a well adjusted boy, energetic and loving, who enjoys long hikes and loves to run and play with toys. As a Husky/German Shepherd mix, he seems to have a permanent smile on his face and his expression brightens when he recognizes a familiar face. He is so excited to see some of our volunteers that he will let out a long howl, followed by a quick bark to let them know where he is and that it is time for some much needed one on one cuddling. He has been a remarkable student on every levels. His social skills with both people and dogs are up to par with all our other orphans. From where he started we never expected such an amazing turn around in such a small amount of time. Romeo is once again a reminder for us all, of the incredible spirit dogs can exhibit if only given a chance, of the incredible determination they can show in overcoming the most dire circumstances and odds. Romeo is a winner in our book, and anyone lucky enough to welcome this magnificent boy into their lives would definitely be hitting the jackpot.
