Colonel Zachary's Story!

My wife and I wanted to take in a dog from a shelter preferably a dachshund or dachshund mix but we were concerned about our current dog Huggie's reaction. Huggie is afraid of other dogs and bringing an aggressive dog into the house would not be fair to her. We attempted a dog from a local rescue group, but after a day realized that it would not be a good mix and had to bring her back. We were now sure that we needed to find out more about the dog's personality. I had been visiting the Dachshund Rescue Web Page almost daily, since stumbling on it a few weeks earlier. We had contacted a few people from the site, but the dogs we thought might be a good fit were not located in our area.

If we had no restrictions, we would have adopted a dog from a local shelter, but as we could only take in one dog, and as Huggie placed certain limitations on the dog we could take in, we needed to find out as much about the dog as possible. Most rescue groups want to place the animal in the right environment, so they foster the dogs to help determine their personalities, needs or fears. This is a win-win for the dog and the prospective new owners. That is where the Dachshund Rescue of North America (DRNA) comes in. There was a post on the Dachshund Rescue Web Page for a dachshund located in Atlanta, Georgia. I had given up on trying to adopt a dog that was not located within driving distance, but my wife felt this was the dog and called the number on the posting. After two telephone interviews with Tom Flynn, we found ourselves trying to figure out how to get the dog from Atlanta to New York.

We considered the Dachshund Underground Railroad and the Dachshund Air Force. The former seemed unnecessarily stressful to the dog. As for the latter, while Benny Archuleta was willing to fly the dog up, it turned out to be easier for me to fly down. Tom met me at the airport and introduced me to Zach, who was known as Hugs at the time. From my conversations with Tom, I learned the following about Zach's past. He was rescued from a puppy mill in West Virginia, along with 28 other dogs that were being discarded. He had lived his entire life in a small wire cage with other dogs that would routinely attack him. We are not sure of his age, but the number 91 is tattooed in his left ear and we are pretty sure it indicates his birth year. All of the rescued dogs were taken to Indiana, were the DRNA has a relationship with a veterinarian. They were given physicals and spayed or neutered. The dogs were then sent to foster homes around the country. Zach was sent to a foster home in Atlanta, Georgia. Here is the original post and picture from the DRWP site:

"On March 5th I took Loverboy to his foster home. The next day Pam told me his new name was Hugs, because he likes to hug when you pick him up. She also said to take my time placing him because he is such a sweet dog. Hugs was turned over to us by a "breeder". He has been in a kennel crate for most of his life; the first time he played in the grass was at our house. Prior to being rescued Hugs was attacked by several dogs and required a lot of medical attention for bites and deep bruises from the attack. He is completely recovered. He is very submissive around other males and needs a home where there are NO males that can hurt him; he will not defend himself. He gets along with everyone and is the kind of dog that can lower your blood pressure by just being there. He is learning to play and gets along with all people and other dogs."

Obviously, with a dog named Huggie already living with us we needed to come up with a new name for Hugs. We used the baby name tool at babycenter.com to help us find a suitable name. We saw Zachary, which is Hebrew for "remembered by god", and knew we had a winner. We figured after all that he went through and his being from the South, he also earned the title of Colonel. I flew back with Colonel Zachary, who traveled in a carrier under the seat on the plane. He was understandably scared at first after nine years in a cage, one month at the vet and a month in foster care, he was being transported again. He came to us with a bad ear infection and a cursory diagnosis of a heart problem. The heart problem turned out to be nothing and the ear infection was treated. After the ear infection cleared up, we still detected an odor coming from his mouth; we attributed that to needing a dental. A trip to the Animal Medical Center in New York for an appointment with a canine dentist turned up two badly infected upper canines. The infection was left untreated for so long that it had worked its way into his sinuses. Both upper fangs were extracted and a third tooth fell out during the procedure.

Now healthy, Zach fell into the rhythms of the house and continues to adjust to life in New York City. Every car that races past no longer spooks him. The odd sounds of construction no longer startle him and passing people are no longer a reason to stop in his tracks. On the street, Zach demonstrates his newly acquired New York City attitude uninterested in anything. If he could speak, he would be saying fahgetaboudit. It has been our pleasure welcoming Zach into our home. He has been with us only six months, but it is impossible to imagine the apartment without him. His appreciation for the smallest things seems limitless. Watching him adjust to everything has been truly gratifying. We only wish we had room for more rescues.

Huggie and Zach enjoy a day in Central Park
Thanks to everyone involved with the DRNA and the DRWP for their tireless efforts to save and find homes for these poor animals.
Darlene & Gene Trinker