Our Urgent Tails
Stories from the Heart
When I first laid eyes on Fritz, he took my breath away. Tall, dark and
gallant he stood.
He was a bit thin and appeared to be occupied with thought.
When I said Hello she looked straight into my eyes as to say why am I
here, I am frightened, where is my person?
few more days.”
Can you tell me anything about him? I asked. “Well, he is absolutely beautiful as you can see,”the
shelter worker replied. “He isn’t crate trained as yet, and he keeps looking for his owner. He was a
stray so who knows?”
I walked around the shelter with my typical list of animals that were to be euthanized, there was the
small beagle with one eye, the senior poodle trembling with fear, the small matted dog that you would
need a Ripley’s believe it or not expert to figure out what she was because she was so badly matted she
didn’t even look like a dog, the frightened Chihuahua that was ready to bite my head off that if he could
speak english would say “I’m really not mean but I’m afraid of you so I have to get you before you get
me,” the Mommy dog still filled with milk, tired, frightened and confused after all her babies were
adopted, and Fritz…
I walked around with my cell phone as usual begging people to foster an animal. One call after another…
the same old answer “I would if I could, but…” or “sorry I need a break”, or “I can do it next week.”
I sat on the bench next to the shelter. If only I had a facility…
A place for all of them to “feel safe and be safe”. I went back into the shelter, I looked around and felt
my strength fading and my energy draining and I felt frightened but my anger was stronger and my will
too. I immediately thought of a quote that was sent to me,
“I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter… the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes
love and hope, fear and betrayal. And I was angry. “G-d, I said, this is terrible! Why don’t you do
something?”G-d was silent for a moment and then he spoke softly and said, I have, I created you.”
I decided I wasn’t going to make any choices. I was just going to take the whole list. I asked more
questions about Fritz. Have you noticed anything about him? I asked about aggression. “Nope, not in
this dog. All I can tell you is he is pre-occupied with something on his mind. I think he really loved his
owner. Doesn’t seem to want to listen to anyone, just wants his owner. Needs some house manners too!
Oh, and no cats, and probably no small dogs either.”
Okay, here I go again. I now have 5 small special needs dogs and and a giant GWP with OCD and ADHD.
I’ll let Fritz tell you the rest of his sad story…
I once had a home where I was loved. I am a runner and somehow I ran too far and ended up in a kill
shelter. I wasn’t worried about myself but being a loyal, sensitive dog, I was worried about my owner. Is
he okay? Is he alive?
Is he eating? Is he patting another dog on the head? Where is he? Why hasn’t he found me? I only want
him.
Everytime someone came to my cage I looked in their eyes. I asked them to please find my person. They
just walked away.
My stomach really hurts. I have diarrhea because I am so stressed. I can’t hold it because I am so
worried.
Almost Home came to my rescue and saved me from euthanasia. The warden told Almost Home I was a
good dog but “TOO MUCH DOG “ for most people. I’m not sure what that means. I wish I could tell
people how I feel so they don’t misunderstand me.
Almost Home kept me safe at a kennel and I went to the pet adoptions every Saturday. Every once in a
while someone would foster me for a week or two. Everytime the people said that same thing “Too much
dog”. I kept coming back. I was getting really depressed and confused. I lost a lot of weight and felt
sad almost all the time. Then finally a miracle happened.
A really nice man wanted to take me home. I heard him say the word “forever”. I know that one word real
well because so many of the Almost Home animals talk about it. Almost Home and the Man talked for a
long time and a lot of paper work was done and I went home with him.
The nice man had another dog. He wasn’t very nice to me. I don’t think he ever liked me. He would start
fights with me and then I decided I didn’t like him either. We just couldn’t get along. I don’t think it
was my fault though, really! The last straw came when we got into it again. I had to go back to Almost
Home. The man was so nice and I truly loved him. He rubbed my ears, taught me house manners and most
importantly he gave me love, consistency and security again. I was really coming along, I followed him
everywhere. I even put on some weight and was looking quite handsome again. The man cried when I was
put into the Almost Home Van. I too cried the whole ride home. I was happy to see the Almost Home
volunteers but I knew what was in store for me and I knew I would worry about my person once again.
Fritz was kenneled and suffered extreme depression. He would not eat unless we hand fed him and
became emaciated in just 3 weeks. We took him to the vet and he said “There is nothing wrong with this
dog physically, it looks to me like he is dying of, a “Broken Heart.”
That day we were forced to take him back to the kennel. I couldn’t sleep all night. So, I took him to a
different kennel where he would get
one on one care. However while he was there he developed bloat which is triggered mostly by stress. He
needed emergency surgery. Fritz barely pulled through the surgery and is still being kenneled because we
have no place for him.
I am not telling anyone Fritz is an easy dog to care for. But what I will tell you is he has amazing
potential. I truly have faith in Fritz. I love him so much and so do all our volunteers. I have been
visiting him on a regular basis and he seems to be doing better. I took him for a little walk, we sat and
rested now and then. He put his head on my lap as I rubbed his ears
just the way the nice man use to. He looked so content. I had to take him back…
Fritz desperately needs a foster home. We are all on full at our homes.
I am begging. Please open your heart and home for a loyal dog who is just plain misunderstood. I truly
believe love, patience, and consistency will be Fritz’s only hope. Fritz should not go to a home with cats
or other dogs. Fritz will need a home where he can recuperate. He needs to get his strength back so he
can have his second surgery where they will tack his stomach. This will protect him from complications
from bloat should he have a recurrence. We are also asking for funds to help with all the medical
expenses Almost Home has incurred and still have a head of us. Fritz needs a foster home ASAP
otherwise his chances of recuperating are slim.
If you are interested in fostering Fritz please e-mail us for an application or fill out an online
application. Please time is of the essence.
Please send donations through pay pal or send to Almost Home, P.O. Box 250602, West Bloomfield,
Michigan 48325. Please write in the memo Fritz’s Fund. Thank you for reading Fritz’s story. Thank you
and G-d Bless.
online donation.
