FROM RAGS TO RICHES...
THE STORY OF HUNTER
by Stace Eakle

Hunter came into rescue about three years ago. His was a dismal case as he had been burned with gasoline and his pelvic was broken in two places. To add to his woes, he was struggling with Demodex mange and was malnourished. For all the abuse he had suffered, Hunter was wonderful with Brian and me because we loved him and mended his wounds every day. For a year I would scrape Hunter skin and soak his body. He was a huge love bug but was very hand aggressive to strangers. If anyone reached out to him or tried to pet him he would snap at them. He was very scared from all the abuse he had endured. After a year of living with us we came to the realization that Hunter would live out his life at our home.

One day a young couple interested in adopting a DDB came to meet Booda, one of our other rescues. After playing with all the dogues at our Ranch they looked over a short stone wall that fenced off a private backyard close to our home and saw Hunter back there romping and playing. The minute Hunter saw them he started barking in that deep scary DDB bark. They both said, "What about him?" I laughed and said, "OH NO! He's not up for adoption. His name is Hunter and he has been badly abused and is very hand aggressive." I told them he had been set on fire but that he loves Brian and me and very scared of strangers.

Well, that did it for Elizabeth and Oscar. They had found their new son! Both Oscar and Elizabeth Biondi are very patient, wonderful people with the biggest hearts one might ever imagine. From that day forward the Biondi's visited us two or three times a week and spent time with Hunter. We had "graduation days" when the three of us knew we had made it over another hurdle and we could go to the next plateau.

One of the proudest days I can remember is being at an obedience class with Chaos. Looking over a group of thirty Dogues I spied Oscar rolling on the grass with Hunter and saw Hunter kissing his new daddy and playing back with so much happiness in his big goofy Dogue de Bordeaux face. Hunter was finally happy.

Hunter now has a new name. He is called Renton. His mom and dad wanted him to start out his new life with only happy memories so his name was changed. Every now and then Mommy Stace still calls him Hunter. Then I remember it's Renton. So, I know that one day I will call him by his new name... but he will always be Hunter to me. Hunter and I spent so many hours in hospitals and late nights holding him and nursing him back to health that I will always think of him as my Hunter boy.

Oscar and Elizabeth were truly sent to me by some angels. They have spent so many hours teaching and loving their baby boy, Renton. This month they are going to Scotland and my big boy and his little sister Ellie (a Beagal who thinks she is as big as a Bordeaux) will be coming to spend two weeks with us. I am very excited to have Renton come home to visit. He'll always hold a special place in my heart.

From: ELEANORTOM@aol.com
DDBRescue@volcano.net