$$ Man About To Return Dog To Shelter Stops After He Spots A Note

 


After one man adopted a dog from a shelter, he was disappointed when the pooch didn't exactly take to him. Upset that the adoption didn't really net him a new best friend, he decided to make a controversial move — until a mysterious note changed his mind.

New in Town

Anthony shared his experience on social media, and the heartbreaking story soon went viral. He had just moved to a new town. While he was excited for this new chapter in life, he was prepared to face a bit of loneliness. He was, after all, single and friendless. So he took the natural next step and decided to adopt a dog.

ARC Animal Welfare / Facebook

A Friendly Lab

Luckily, he saw a black lab being advertised in the local paper. According to the shelter, the dog was all good to go and ready to be placed in a loving home.

Anita Li / Toronto Star

High Hopes

When he called the shelter, Anthony was surprised to learn that many people had already inquired about the hopeful pup; however, nobody had been the perfect fit for the pooch. Knowing he'd make a great dog dag, Anthony headed off to the shelter.

Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown

Reggie

Along with the dog, whose name was Reggie, the previous owner had provided a bed, food bowl, and toys. It seemed unusual that someone giving up a pet would go to such great lengths to ensure his comfort, but Anthony shrugged it off.

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Rough Night

The first night was rough. Reggie was so frightened that Anthony literally had to pick him up and carry him through the doorway just to get the poor thing inside the house.

PETA

Emotional Issues

Unfortunately, the dog's mood didn't seem to improve. Just by looking into his pooch's brown eyes, the new owner could tell something was amiss. Reggie looked sad, as if he had gone through some awful trauma. The shelter had no answers to his questions.

Give It Love

A Tough Choice

After two weeks, nothing in the dog's demeanor had changed. With a heavy heart, Anthony made the reluctant decision to return Reggie to the shelter. Maybe he could find happiness with another family. He went to look for the shelter's number.

via Pinterest

A Note

Anthony began rummaging through the boxes that Reggie had arrived with, looking for the number. Suddenly, he happened upon something entirely unexpected: an unopened envelope. He hesitated...should he unseal it?

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Perking Up

Before he could decide, something even stranger happened: For the first time since his adoption, Reggie appeared to perk up. He watched intently as Anthony handled the letter, seemingly wanting him to open it.

Anything Pawsable

Mysterious Message

Anthony unsealed the envelope and pulled out a note from inside. It read: “To whoever gets my dog: Well, I can’t say that I’m happy you’re reading this, a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by Reggie’s new owner." There was more.

YouTube / Geezerhamster

The Last Ride

Intrigued, Anthony went on. “I’m not even happy writing it," the note continued. "If you’re reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter.”

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Sad Words

Then, the letter took a very sad turn. “He knew something was different," it read. "I have packed up his bed and toys before and set them by the back door before a trip, but this time, it’s like he could sense that something was wrong.”

Mike Mozart / Flickr

Tennis Fan

The author of the mysterious note spoke lovingly of Reggie. He informed Anthony that he loved tennis balls, and could even fit two inside his mouth. But, he warned, be sure not to throw them by any roads because he will chase them.

marshn2010 / Flickr

Trained Canine

To Anthony's shock and surprise, the letter also claimed that Reggie in fact did have some training. Apparently, he knew basic commands such as sit and roll over, as well as more advanced ones such as shake and high five.

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Fear of the Vet

The letter also contained a warning: Reggie absolutely hated the vet. Hopefully he wouldn't be getting sick anytime soon. Still, by this point Anthony was more confused than anything. Who was this mysterious owner, and why had he abandoned Reggie?

Rover

Patience Is a Virtue

The letter continued on: “Finally, be patient with him. I have never been married, so it’s only been me in his whole life. He’s used to going everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can.”

via Pinterest

People Person

Anthony was transfixed. He couldn't take his eyes off the page, even though what he was reading was so sad. “He loves to be around people," it read, "especially me. Which means this transition is going to be hard with him going to live with someone new.”

Nick Abbott

The Real Name

Then, the writer dropped a bombshell: Reggie's name was not, in fact, actually Reggie. Anthony was completely stunned. This entire time he had been calling him by the wrong name.

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The Hard Truth

The note continued, “He’s a clever dog; he’ll get used to [Reggie] and will respond eventually. But I couldn’t bear to give them his real name. For me to do that...was admitting that I’d never see him again.”

Imgur / Whatnameisnttaken

Tank the Dog

The pup's real name, the author finally revealed, was Tank. Initially Anthony thought this seemed like a relatively odd choice for a dog name. He would soon realize that this moniker actually contained a huge clue as to the identity of the former owner.

Universal

Military Past

He named the little guy Tank, he said, because he was a US soldier, and "that's what he drives." Everything was starting to make sense, but Anthony still had one more terrible truth to learn.

A New Home

The soldier, who revealed himself to be named Paul Mallory, had given the army express instructions on what to do if anything happened to him: give Tank to a local shelter, and ensure he found a loving home.

A True Hero

Tragically, Mallory did end up passing away while saving his fellow comrades in a heroic act of courage. The army followed through on his final wishes and gave Tank to a shelter, where he ultimately encountered Anthony.

Military Benefits

Getting Better

As luck would have it, Anthony and Tank totally hit it off. They still strive to honor Mallory's legacy through bravery and kindness. In fact, Anthony became so attached to Tank he started doing more research on Labs and realized how incredible the breed really is.

Give It Love

Consequences of Fame

Anthony's story spread like wildfire across the web. He likely used a pseudonym in writing it, which some users bristled at, including Snopes, which raised questions about some of the claims of his tale. Even so, the popularity of the Reggie saga helped shine a light on incredible black Labs around the world. A woman named Leah certainly agreed.

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Lab Expert

See, Kent native Leah Barrett bred champions. Her Labs were some of the best in town, and they were no strangers to dog shows. Still, there was no competition on the calendar when her pregnant black Labrador Beau left her stunned.

Liisa Krause / Flickr

Beau was always destined to do great things. Her lineage appeared at the Crufts dog show, an elite competition that honors the best and brightest in purebred canine companions. It’s a cutthroat pageant, and winning is a great honor.

So, when Beau became pregnant, Leah was over the moon. As a breeder, she made her living off of bringing new puppies into the world, and if the litter turned out to be champions like their ancestors, that boded well for her.

At first, the pregnancy seemed to be pretty ordinary. No complications had arisen, and Beau seemed happy and healthy. Leah eagerly awaited the birth of the new baby Labs.

The vet predicted that Beau would produce five or six puppies, but Leah, a staunch believer in her pups, had even grander expectations. She estimated the litter would contain eight dogs. Neither she nor the vet had any idea what surprises awaited them.

When Beau went into labor, Leah soon realized the true shocking nature of this pregnancy. The vet had told her to expect the delivery of each pup to take around an hour. This was not the case.

Leah couldn’t believe her eyes as she watched seven little Labs pop out of Beau in only forty minutes. And she wasn’t done. The puppies continued to come. Suddenly there were eight, then nine...

Leah wondered when the birthing would end. Then, she noticed something that made her heart stop in her chest: one of the puppies had become trapped in Beau's birth canal! It was blocked by the Lab's placenta, which had come loose during the delivery.

Leah and her sister panicked. They couldn’t stand the thought of one of Beau’s children not surviving. However, there was no time to call in a medical professional. If the pup was going to make it, they'd have to make it so themselves.

After forty minutes of maneuvering, Leah and her sister finally retrieved the stuck puppy from the birth canal. But instead of breathing a sigh of relief, what they saw next horrified them even more.

The dog was not breathing or moving! For an awful moment, they feared it was too late to save her. But the women persevered. They had done their research and knew to use suction equipment to remove fluid from the small pup’s lungs.

After a tense ten minutes that seemed more like two hours, the newborn finally started breathing! Leah and her sister were overjoyed, but they had more reasons than one to celebrate. New mother Beau had just done something incredible.

Astoundingly, Beau had given birth to a grand total of thirteen puppies. Considering the average of six to eight dogs in a Labrador litter, Leah was thrilled. Beau had done something truly worthy of a Crufts’ champion. But caring for so many newborns would prove more difficult than anticipated.

One problem that arose was that Beau had thirteen babies and only ten teats! Because of this, Leah had to wake up in the middle of the night to feed the runts and make sure that each of Beau’s children was happy, healthy, and well-cared for. 

Of the thirteen, there were seven boys and six girls. Leah named each of them after their own unique personalities. A few of the pups stood out immediately, thanks to a few cute quirks.

The runt of the litter was given a strong name, Stormy, to "give him a boost." One pup who howled a lot was named after a singer, Paloma Faith. And the puppy who almost didn’t make it? Leah called her Hope. 

The thirteen siblings truly were testaments to the unpredictable nature of our animal friends and the strength Leah and her sister exhibited when they saved the at-risk puppy. Of course, the litter wouldn't be staying with them for long.

Thirteen puppies is a handful for even the most experienced dog owner to manage, so eleven of the pups were sold to new and loving homes. The descendants of champions didn't come cheap though...

Leah asked 950 euros for each purebred pup, which comes out to around $1,222 in USD. This means that if she sold all of the Kennel Club-registered dogs at that price, she brought home over $13,000. Not bad for a day's work!

Leah knew she was lucky in more ways than one. Animal pregnancies can lead to serious complications, something she could've learned from the story of Chris Hughes and Mariesa Caliguire. Their lives revolved around dogs — just look inside their home.

By 2013, they'd adopted a whopping eight dogs! With critters of all different ages, breeds, and personalities, there was hardly a dull moment under Chris and Mariesa's roof. That actually gave them a bright idea.

Today

They started their own reality show called Life in the Doghouse. Over the course of a couple of years, the YouTube series gained a loyal following eager to see how the Ohio couple handled such a hectic household.

Though they already had their hands full, Mariesa and Chris still talked about bringing yet another dog into the fold. There were so many needy animals out there, and giving one more a happy home would be a truly good deed.

Animal Channel

In the fall of 2013, they zipped over to the Cuyahoga County Kennel, where countless little faces peered out at them through iron cages. It broke Mariesa's heart that they could only rescue one of them.

But then one interaction convinced Chris and Mariesa of what they had to do. When they walked up to one beautiful pit bull named Storie, it was love at first sight. Of course, something was obviously different about her.

Her enormously swollen belly told Storie's whole tale. She was very pregnant, and the staff at the dog shelter said she was expecting six puppies any day now. In fact, they were a bit surprised Storie hadn't given birth yet.

Mariesa and Chris felt torn. On one hand, they really looked forward to the prospect of Storie joining their family. But on the other, could they really handle this pit bull and her puppies on top of their other eight dogs?

YouTube / Life in the Doghouse

With only minutes to make their decision, the couple followed their hearts. They brought Storie home and introduced her to her new brothers and sisters, who were jumping with joy. Still, the pit bull started showing signs that she was unwell.

Chris and Mariesa could only guess that her state was due to her pregnancy. They did a little research and learned that in high-stress situations, expecting dogs sometimes refused to give birth.

Knowing they had no time to lose, Mariesa and Chris hopped into the car with Storie whimpering in the backseat. The other eight dogs watched as they sped off to see their veterinarian.

Even the vet was concerned. Fearing that something had gone wrong with her pregnancy, they prepared for an ultrasound that would finally provide them with some answers — and hopefully not devastating ones.

It turned out that the animal shelter's assessment of Storie was all wrong. They sized her up as being pregnant with six puppies. But in reality, she was carrying an unbelievable twelve puppies! And if she didn't deliver them quickly, Storie would be in serious trouble.

Unfortunately, it wasn't safe to perform a c-section on the proud mama. Storie would have to birth her litter alone. All Chris and Mariesa could do was make her comfortable and hope for the best. What they saw the next morning was unbelievable.

As if she finally knew she was safe, Storie brought twelve happy and healthy puppies into the world — and not a moment too soon! Chris embraced the new mother as she took a well-deserved rest.

With the puppies safe and happy, Chris and Mariesa had to figure out how to handle all the puppies. They now had 21 dogs in their house, which was enough to trip up even these seasoned canine owners.

The couple realized that they couldn't care for all these pooches. Fortunately, drawing upon their connections in the animal world, Mariesa and Chris found homes for all twelve puppies. And that wasn't the only change in their household.

Dogster

To give the couple a little more space, Chris's best friend Ryan offered to adopt Storie. They gladly accepted, knowing she would be in capable hands. Plus, the pit bull could still visit them anytime.

After such a whirlwind few days, Chris and Mariesa felt relieved to sit back and relax with their eight pooches. It seemed like things had finally returned to normal — except that before long Chris dropped an unexpected question.

He asked Mariesa to marry him, and of course, she said yes! They happily tied the knot surrounded by family and friends, in a ceremony which naturally included a couple of their canine companions.

Not every dog's behavior can be so easily explained. When one woman noticed her adopted pet Dobermann, Kahn, was acting strange it became an immediate concern. But when the new dog grabbed her child by his mouth, things took a dramatic turn.

YouTube

Catherine Svilicic of Australia knew the risks when she decided to adopt a large dog. She'd heard horror stories about rescues who have trouble readjusting to life outside the cage, but she thought Khan was different.

Even though Catherine and her husband knew Khan came from an abusive home prior to adopting him, they still had no qualms about introducing him to their 17-month-old daughter, Charlotte.

YouTube

Days after Khan's adoption, young Charlotte was playing with the dog in the family garden. That was when Catherine noticed something that would frighten any pet owner — especially those with kids.

Catherine couldn't believe what she was seeing: Khan was snarling and pushing Charlotte around. It was every parent's worst nightmare, and for Charlotte, it must have been terrifying.

Then, before Catherine could react, the large Dobermann grabbed the toddler by the diaper and tossed her across the yard like a rag doll! Catherine raced toward her baby. What on earth was going on?

It was like her loving dog, usually so gentle with the little girl, totally transformed. Catherine started running toward Charlotte when she saw something that made her take pause...

Her 17-month-old daughter was pointing at a suspicious object slipping away into the grass. She suddenly realized what made Khan act out so aggressively.

In the yard was a large king brown snake, one of the most venomous in Australia. Catherine realized Khan wasn't trying to harm little Charlotte; rather, he was merely trying to get her to safety -- fast.

The dog saved Charlotte by flinging her out of harm's way. Unfortunately, that meant that Khan was the snake's new target.

There was no time to waste; Catherine had the sudden realization that Khan was in serious danger. She made sure that her daughter would be okay before she turned her attention back to the dog.

Khan might have saved Charlotte, but he'd been bitten on his paw by the snake and he collapsed to the ground. Catherine was in shock.

But she couldn't give up on the dog, he was family, and he had just saved her baby's life without hesitation. She knew that she had to take action if the dog was going to survive.

Catherine frantically rushed Khan to a nearby emergency veterinary clinic. Could he receive an anti-venom injection before it was too late? All Catherine could do was move as quickly as possible...

Khan was in bad shape. He had a rough first night at the clinic, but thankfully, he managed to pull through. The staff was amazed to see that he even had an appetite when he woke up the next morning!

He still needed to heal from his wound, but ultimately, he would be okay. It was the best news Catherine could have hoped for. She was overjoyed that her family's canine hero was going to pull through.

YouTube

Now, years later, Catherine is just as thankful that she chose to adopt Khan and rescue him from his abusive past. It really is true what they say: adopt, don't shop. You're not just buying a pet—you're welcoming a new member to your family!

YouTube

When Catherine adopted Khan, she had no idea he would pay back her family for their kindness. The fact that he went above and beyond and put his life on the line for his little sister was astounding.

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