Duke - When Bad Things Happen to Good Dogs
Duke is the perfect example of "Man's Best Friend". He's happy to sit by your side, content to just hang out. Duke is a snuggler! He is a great dog with a friendly, laid back personality. That's pretty impressive considering that Duke has had a pretty dismal run of luck.
Duke was rescued by ABR from a local animal control facility. A concerned neighbor reported Duke's former owners on suspicion of neglect. Year-round Duke was kept outside, day and night. He weathered the coldest winter days, the pounding rain, and endured the hottest dog days of Summer. He lived the first years of his life stuck in the yard, no soft cozy dog bed, no treats, no scratches behind the ears while his master watches TV. Duke was never allowed to be part of the family. Worse still, Duke was never fed regular meals. He came into the rescue skinny, his ribs showing.
Duke's former owners never bothered with visits to the vet. When he came to us, Duke's prostate was so enlarged, that emptying his bladder was painful. He needed an immediate surgery to correct the problem. While at the vet, a blood test reveled that Duke was heartworm positive. Poor boy! Treatment and then six weeks of crate rest.
Shortly after addressing these issues, Duke began having paralysis in his hind legs. He would fall over or suffer in pain. A battery of tests were run discover the problem. It seems that Duke has a lesion on his spine. The poor guy will need a costly surgery to fix this malady.
How is it that a dog who has suffered so much, been denied so much, becomes such a great dog? Duke is a happy mellow dog, despite his rough start and health issues. He is fascinated by children. He loves other dogs. Duke is eager to please! We know that Duke will make someone so very happy. But he has to get well first. Please consider donating to help Duke get the medical treatment he needs to live a happy, pain-free life.
Boxerstock 2009
“This is the first place I’ve played where the dogs run free and the musicians are caged.” – Comedian Gary Koepke at Boxerstock 2009
And so it was for the second annual Boxerstock music festival. The weekend that ended with the “Flood of 2009” started with a collection of musicians, comedians, volunteers, and sponsors coming together to present a day of entertainment for the entire family, including the 4-legged members. And although the rains moved the events from the front parking lot of Dogma Dogcare in Smyrna to their large dog room inside (and covered shelter out back), the event turned into a barking success!
All of us at Atlanta Boxer Rescue want to extend a warm and heartfelt “thank you” to the dozen musicians who generously gave their time and talents to perform for our patrons: Rick McKee, Atlanta Kitchen Party, Heidi Pollyea, Out of the Rain, Lonesome Redwing, Kurt Scobie, Tori Bigelow, Morgan Rowe Band, That Girl Laura, Nine Times Blue, RubberJean and Thomas Tillman In addition, we would like to thank Wes Duncan and Shelly Ryan for serving as emcees throughout the day, as well as comedians Whitt Brown, Jenn Arndt and Gary Koepke for keeping us laughing between the musical acts. We are also grateful for the wonderful folks from Frogs to Dogs and In Dogs We Trust for giving demonstrations and answering questions about topics near and dear to our canine family.
An event like Boxerstock does not just happen overnight and we could not have done it without the numerous individual volunteers who gave their time and their dry clothes to present our festival to you. Thank you to all of you! And, of course, we are humbled and thankful for the generosity extended to us by our sponsors, including Dogma Dogcare, Urban Flats restaurant in Atlanta, Vermont Mustard Company restaurant in Vinings, True Audio Productions, Courier Express, Balloons and Events over Atlanta, and RSVP Party Rentals.
Be sure to take a look at the photographs that Mike Clifton (himself a Boxer lover and generous supporter of Atlanta Boxer Rescue) captured throughout the day. And if you see something you like, please buy a print from Mike. All of the proceeds from the picture sales are given directly to Atlanta Boxer Rescue.
Boxerstock 2009 was a great success, and the monies raised will go a long way towards the mission of Atlanta Boxer Rescue – saving Boxers!
Boxerstock T-shirt Reprint
The Boxerstock T-shirt is quickly becoming a hot collectible. In fact, we sold out of our inventory by 3pm on the day of the event! Since we have had so many inquiries about additional shirts, we have decided to do one more reprint. You can choose between short- and long-sleeve shirts, in sizes from Youth XS to Adult 4XL. But hurry! This round of orders will close on Sunday, October 18th, so be sure to order yours now! Click here to order.
As always, thanks for your interest in Atlanta Boxer Rescue.
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