Monty

Our 100th Rescue - Dog of the Year, 2008

Aimee Cartright, a Registered Veterinary Technician, saw the dog she later named 'Monty' lurking in her neighborhood. She could not ignore his neglected condition, especially when she recognized that he had Entropion, a condition of the eyelids that would need surgery to correct. He was thin and filthy with hair loss on his rear end and multiple hot spots. She enticed him into her car and took him to the county shelter. Thus began the journey that would, eventually, lead him to his new home.

After he was unclaimed at the shelter, Aimee was told that he would need the help of a rescue o rganization if he was to be given a second chance at life. She called many rescue groups but only The Dog Squad returned her call. All Pets Animal Hospital, where Aimee worked, offered to cover the expenses of his neutering and Entropion surgeries and we took him into our adoption program.

Monty would be our 100th rescued dog since receiving our non-profit status exactly one year before. The local paper, the North County Times, was there to record his story and ours and report it to the community.

The Dog Squad wanted to get Monty's surgery out of the way but his first few days at the animal hospital revealed that he had a severe fear of confinement. While heavily sedated at the hospital, he escaped from his kennel and dug through the drywall. His Entropion surgery would now have to wait until Monty could be calm enough for a recovery period. His anxieties would strike again when Monty was placed with his first foster family. He once again performed a Houdini-like crate-escape and we had to transfer him to a secure boarding facility until another foster home could be found.

Katherine Prelat was the perfect foster mom for Monty. She was at home most of the day and could monitor him closely. Monty still attempted to escape regularly until he learned that being confined could bring security and a couple of square meals a day. It was clear that Monty had experienced very little dependence on people in his past but he responded well to affection and praise. Soon, he formed a close bond with Katherine, learning to trust her. Katherine was charmed by Monty's entertaining and peculiar nature. In the security of his foster home, he calmed down and his eye surgery was scheduled.

Although Monty's Entropion was severe, his surgery went well. He recuperated in his foster home and, after some early issues of pulled stitches and a second surgery, Monty was finally ready for adoption. Katherine had to go away on vacation and Monty came to live with me. His separation anxiety would now be put to the test and my own two senior dogs would become his new life coaches. When I went out, it took Monty a while to understand that my absence was only temporary. He scratched doors and dug holes under the fence until, one day. I arrived home to find random dog toys scattered about the yard. Like children who outgrow certain toys, I knew that my dogs had not done this. It was Monty who'd figured out a constructive way to pass the time while I was out! He was never destructive again.

Soon after this remarkable breakthrough Monty started getting interest from potential adopters. A lovely woman phoned me after reading about him on our website. She and her husband wanted to bring another dog into their home after one of their dogs passed. Monty looked a lot like the dog they still had. "A younger 'mini-me' version", they said. They were not concerned with the slight droopiness of his eyes post surgery which put some people off.

Monty and Bo were best buds from the start. They romped around in the park together and later played tag with their stuffed dog toys. The day I dropped Monty off at his new home he left my side immediately to chase his older brother out in the yard! They emptied out their toy basket within minutes and later chewed rawhide together, side by side.

Monty's new owners have since emailed me a couple of time to tell me how well he fits into their family and how much they all love him. They somehow knew that Monty was meant for them. He sleeps on their bed and goes on vacation with them to the river. Monty, a dog who used to be uncomfortable with enclosure and awkward with people, has blossomed into a full-on family dog. His last visit to All Pets Animal Hospital had the staff smiling in disbelief at Monty's newly relaxed and well behaved stature. He's healthy, happy and secure. He has indeed become the 'full Monty'.