The Rescue Dog

Hi all,
I have decided that unless I have at least 2 hours to stand in the cold and watch Baron roll in the snow with his friends, our dog park is just too large. I need a small dog park which will increase the chances of catching a racing dog. A park the size of a small driveway might suffice.
I just tried a new park which is much smaller and it was easier to catch a moving target (that would be Baron). At the park, I met a young man, Jim, who had a lovely, perfectly trained (unlike you-know-who)rescue dog, Buddy. Buddy is a mix: part shepherd, chow and rottweiler.
Today's blog entry is about the trauma Buddy experienced before his rescue. He was approximately 2 years old when he was found wandering in the Missouri woods, chained to one of his litter mates. With only 5 feet of chain between the dogs, their movement was limited. Buddy was wearing a choke collar which had not been replaced since he was a small puppy; it was embedded in his neck and had to be surgically removed. Initially Buddy was fearful in unpredictable ways, and either barked frantically or cowered. Jim said Buddy has "street smarts" and is superb at protecting himself, which explains how he survived. Buddy is now about 6 years old, and is obviously flourishing. He is a great companion for Jim, and displayed impressive patience with Baron.
I am writing about Buddy because those of us who love and value our dogs can't imagine the abuse suffered by pets who fall into the wrong hands. We will never know what Buddy experienced. He and Jim are lucky to have found each other. Adopting a rescue dog isn't for everyone. Given Baron's health issues and personality quirks, he probably sounds like a rescue dog, but he wasn't. I got him from a breeder and kept him after he developed an autoimmune disease as a puppy. The point is: there is no guarantee with any dog.
OK I will step off the soap box now, but it riles me to think of the crimes humans commit (with no punishment) where animals are concerned.
Botswain