3 Dog Art - Wags&Wisdom

Oh My Dog !
Black Bart – The Pirate Who Stole My Heart

Black Bart, a 12 pound Chihuahua mix, came into my life while I was a volunteer foster “mom” for a rescue group. I saw him at our local shelter and I was determined to rescue him. He was in with the big dogs, alone in a cell. He was so scared but not afraid to approach anyone who came to his cell. You could not see his ears or his tail. They were so close to his body that you could not tell he had any. I heard people laugh at him - but still he approached to be petted.

Why Do Dogs
Turn Around Three Times
Before Lying Down?
According to American humorist Robert
Benchley, a dog teaches a boy three things: fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.

All domestic dog breeds can be traced back to three lines of wolves and many of our dog’s behaviors can be explained by this ancestral tendency. In the wild, before lying down, they trampled the grass several times to make a comfortable sleeping spot. Even though our domestic dog usually has a plush bed as a sleeping place, this denning ritual continues. Since this behavior gives your dog a sense of contentment, it will likely be continued through future generations of dogs, even though it is no longer needed.

Please visit these fabulous sites:
www.Paws4Healing.info

www.PetFinder.com

www.apdt.com/

www.petswelcome.com/

www.doggietownusa.com

Here is MORE of Black Bart's Story
I visited him every evening when I got off work, telling him to hang in there because he would soon be free. On the day he was released, I arrived with a warm blanket in my hands and, as soon as the cell door opened, I scooped him up. Walking out of the shelter, I saw people smile when they saw his little face surrounded by the blue fleece blanket. A friend told me that he needed a strong name like “Black Bart” to help him overcome his fear and anxiety. So Black Bart he became (yes he has a pirate outfit and a wagon with sides to make it look like a pirate ship)! I took him to Petsmart for adoption and, after two weekends there, I knew I could not give him up. So ... I adopted him.

After enjoying his companionship for four months, I was given the opportunity to join a pet therapy group where I work. Black Bart and I completed the necessary studies and paper work, passed our evaluation and became an animal-assisted therapy team.I continued to be a foster “mom” and one day, about six months after his adoption, I was to transport a dog to another foster home. Bart and I had a therapy visit where I work, and, that day I was in a hurry. So I picked up the foster dog, my housemate picked up Bart, and out the door we went. When we got to the car, Bart wrapped both his paws around my housemate’s arm, pulled his head back and gave out the most awful cry I have ever heard. I will never, ever forget that sound! I guess he thought his number was up and he was going away and not coming back, like so many others. Before we left the driveway, I put his sweater on, his therapy cape, and talked to him. All the way to work, he sat in his car seat and shook. I talked to him all the way to work. People must have thought I was crazy driving and talking to myself. When I parked my car at the office. he looked up over the dash and I could see in his face that he knew where he was and immediately stopped shaking. Still, it took 11 months with me before he gave me a kiss.During the first several months Bart suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and was on medication and special food. He has had to have both his kneecaps sewn into place. After he was accidentally hit on the back by a developmentally disabled individual, he began to walk funny. So off to the vet we went. He had a pinched nerve from the injury. We went through two years of anti-inflammatory medication, acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments. Finally the vertebra ruptured. At midnight he had emergency surgery. The vet said he had only a 65% chance of walking again but he would be out of pain. That was not good enough for my little love. I found a physical therapist who worked with animals. Even if I had to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for years to come, he was going to have therapy! He hated the therapy but did what I asked of him. Six months after his surgery and physical therapy, the vet released him at 95% recovery and told him to go back to work.In the past 6 years, Black Bart has made over 400 animal assisted therapy visits. He has brought joy to many. I know that he particularly loves the special events such as Special Olympics, fairs, conventions, and appearing (in costume) at the Pet Expo.

He is my hero.

About Black Bart’s Mom: Donna Martin and Black Bart live in Orange County, CA. She is the President and a Founding Member of Paws 4 Healing (www.paws4healing.info), a Southern California Animal Assisted Therapy Group.

This photo of a little girl hugging Black Bart was taken
at a camp for children with cancer. She fell for his
big brown eyes and did not want to give him up.
Bart seemed to know.