Update 2012 January 17 - Never happier days for Champ!
Champ and Miss Princess are leading the good life now, and Champ's new dad finally has the fishing buddy he wanted! They tell us we made their dreams come true. We think they made Champ's come true, too.

UPDATE 2012 January 03 - CHAMP has a new home and family!  It's going to be life in the Big Easy for Champ, with a lovely gal who looks like she was made for him, a smaller female boxer of slightly lighter color named "My Princess."  Oh, did they ever fall for each other, and Champ's new family is ecstatic. They said that Princess had never responded so positively to another dog.  And Champ, the quintessential gentleman, well even he could hardly contain himself for the smiling and excitement of the Princess's approval.  We found Champ's former owner, who said "Take him!"  So we did, and within 24 hours this family found us. Champ is going to the vet this week to be neutered and checked thoroughly, so he can begin his full life with Princess and their devoted human leaders.  Stay tuned for more photos and videos.
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2012 January 01, New Year's Day
New Orleans Lakefront Airport

The airport staff tried for hours to drive the dog away, thinking he would go home where they hoped he belonged. This was very early in the morning on New Year's day. Maybe he had run away because of the noise of all the fireworks last night.  But this thin but gorgeous intact male boxer was dirty and covered with callouses, and his ribs were sticking way out. So maybe he hadn't been home for a good while.  He was as gentle and well-mannered as a dog could be. But he wouldn't leave.  Sunrise came and passed, a beautiful balmy southern day unfolded, and he had no intention of going anywhere else.  They called us, and we brought food and tools to clean him up and made an appointment at the local emergency animal care facility so that they could see if he had a microchip ID in him. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a sweet sight, this dog.  After warm greeting to us and all of our dogs, with no friction whatsoever among the four dogs, he ate food as if he hadn't eaten for many days.  He LOVED the brushing out in the sun.  We couldn't read the old plastic microchip ID tag on him, and the company couldn't make sense of the few numbers we could read.  So as soon as he'd eaten and been brushed and was feeling 100% better, we drove off to the emergency facility.  

 

Sure enough, they found a chip. His name is "Champ."  The veterinarian called the number, and it turned out to be people who said they had sold him a while back to someone else, but they couldn't reach that someone. Did they want to come and get the dog?  Not really.  Did we have someone who would adopt the dog?  We were sure we could, and we weren't so sure the dog should go back to where he had been. We said "yes, we could find this dog a wonderful home", and the veterinarian, after hanging up with the former owner on the phone, said to us "Take him!" 

In the short time Champ had been at the airport with us, before we went to the Emergency Care facility to read his chip, many people who had come and gone had expressed interest and affection for him.  Truly, he is a very very fine dog.  One couple who are regulars at the airport expressed great interest; they have a female boxer mix, about four years old, very social and gentle, who they thought would just love Champ.  We'll find out tomorrow if they will be able to take him, and we'll go have a look at their place and let the dogs and family meet at length.  If that all goes well, On Wings Of Care will have him neutered and given a complete health check, and this will be one of the fastest and smoothest rescues ever!  

Happy New year and Happy New Life, Champ!

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