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| Name: |
Graham
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Age: |
Eight years old
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| Gender: |
Male |
Breed: |
Australian Shepherd Mix |
| Home: |
Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA |
Happy
Halloween! This is Graham, both in disguise as a caterpillar
and showing his natural, pretty smile. He is my angel and my love. I
have never loved a dog as much as I love this precious little mixed
breed. Here is his story in a nutshell: About 7 years ago when I was
550 miles away from home at college I volunteered every week at the
local no-kill shelter and walked some homeless dogs. As I walked in,
I heard the usual barking coming from 60 different dogs as I walked
towards the station that had all the dog leashes. I had picked out a
leash to use now all I needed was a dog. I took a walk down the isle
of dog runs, filled with dogs barking, hoping I would pick them.
I almost walked past a run that I thought at first was empty but at
second glance, there was the most angelic dog I have ever seen looking
up at me, calmly and quietly, not making a peep. The instant
I saw his little face, I just melted, and his little stubble tail
began wiggling. He is such a gentle soul, I could tell right away. I
did not have to think twice about taking him for the first walk, and
the walk I took was quite a bit longer then my usual walk. I knew
that this dog was coming home with me, even though I was not even
allowed to own dogs in the apartment I was living in. We had bonded
the instant our eyes met. So that day began our love affair. I named
him Golden Graham because he is a pretty shade of red and gold, and
because of his golden personality.
In the seven years that I have had Graham in my life, we have been through
many obedience classes which he excelled in, to help him gain more
confidence since he was abused before I adopted him. He also has
earned his CGC title (Canine Good Citizen), we have become a certified
therapy team through
Delta Society Pet Partners
because he is a kind, gentle, loving dog who has the heart of a true healer, we
will be visiting children's hospitals and nursing homes soon. In the
spring and summer months we are in a performance group called "Rock &
Roll K-9's, which do fun agility races, high jump competitions,
freestyle (dancing with your dog), flyball, musical mats (similar to
musical chairs but with a square of carpet instead of a chair, and the
dogs must do a down/stay on the mat when the music stops ) in front of
an audience, and we are currently in agility to keep the mind and
muscles active and alert. I couldn't have asked for a better dog then
Graham!
Graham is a true outdoorsman. He is extremely calm when he
is in the house but when he gets past the residential area and into
the woods and field, he becomes a different dog. He absolutely loves
the sights, sounds and smells of nature. He loves tracking wild
animals, swimming, retrieving sticks that I throw for him into the
water, camping, and the occasional kill of a squirrel, which I am not
as happy about as he is. Graham is proof of what gems are sitting
behind bars at shelters waiting for the right someone to notice them.
I can't imagine what life would be like had I not gone to walk dogs
that day! I love him more then I can even describe.
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