Rex:

 We adopted Rex last night and now all that is left is getting him vet checked and transported. I don't know what others see in his eyes but I see concern and worry. We adopted him from a kill shelter and usually owner surrenders are killed the first day or two. He had until Friday and when I saw the concern in his eyes  I knew we needed to do something. There is a smell in kill shelters that the dogs know they are on death row. 

His first trauma is knowing he is in a kill shelter and his time is limited. The owner had him as an outdoor dog and turned him in when he was a senior of 8 years old - possibly because he tested positive for heart worm. They never trained him in basic commands and he probably got little attention as an outdoor dog. 

His second trauma will be when he is taken to the clinic to get a health certificate so he can cross state lines. Then he will be transported by vehicle to us which will also be traumatic. When no one spoke up for him - probably due to his age - we did and hopefully he will be here next week. That look in his eyes is wonder and fear as to what happened to him to be in this place. 

Not knowing any commands, having been an outdoor dog who probably did not have much interaction our work will be cut out for us but we have experience so we can handle it. We look forward to the challenge so he can have a long and happy rest of his life. 

We will do further blogs as we go further in his acclimation and training.