Just over a year ago, Apollo was a frightened puppy at Texas Animal Care Services of San Antonio. He was so scared that he wouldn’t even lift his head. But one family was willing to take a chance, and their love made all the difference in the world.
His body language conveyed the horrors of his past, and the photo of the despondent dog broke hearts. Apollo’s story was unknown, and in spite of his crippling fear, Megan Cook’s family was willing to take him in and show him he was worthy of love.
“Of course, we will never know exactly what living on the streets of San Antonio was like, or what his first owner did to him. We know that someone began to tattoo his underbelly in green. We know that he hates drainage ditches of all kinds.
We know that one of his ears does not stand up due to either a dog fight or lack of essential nutrients and chewing in his early months. Shortly after we got him, we also found out he was distemper positive, and very much on the edge of losing his life.
When the vet met Apollo, she said he would never be a good family pet, that he was not properly socialized soon enough.
When he tested distemper positive, they told us we could leave him there at the vet, so they could keep him hydrated and as comfortable as possible. Yet by then, we knew he hated small cages.”
Apollo proved that vet wrong.
“We declined and brought him home, and we gave him food, and a bed, and everything a puppy wants. You should have seen how excited he was when we fed him in those first few months.
“He recovered entirely from his illness. Slowly, he became the best dog, even at times very cuddly. His favorite thing on the planet is our morning walks.
He is loving, confident, and sweet – the perfect family pet.
He is our tiny dachshund’s best friend in the world. Recently we had a baby, and from the moment we brought our baby home, Apollo adopted the baby as if he were his own puppy.”
Sadly, many dogs are not given the chance to be loved and to show how that love can change their lives. Apollo is one of the lucky few. Shepherds are smart, perceptive dogs, and Apollo seems to understand just how fortunate he is.
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