We had just moved to Fort Bliss, Texas from Fort Benning, Georgia with four animals (all adopted or abandoned). Upon arriving in Texas, my husband and I both realized that our female Shepherd mix would need a playmate while we were at work all day. A casual shopping trip to a local retail store would first introduce us to "Zane" who was being featured at an off-site adoption event for the El Paso Humane Society.
I wasn’t quite sure about him at first. He had a lot of scars, very little hair on his tale, huge swollen paws and over a year of life on the streets behind him. His teeth were ground down from chewing on rocks and he had almost no training. He had been at the shelter for almost three months with little to no interest shown in him. My husband knew right away that he was the dog for us. We knew we’d need to introduce our current dog, Grace, to him to see if they were compatible. Five minutes into our first visit, they were wrestling and chasing each other all over the room. "Zane" would fall on his back and show his belly: the ultimate sign of submission. They have been inseparable ever since.
We adopted "Zane," now Pete, four months ago. He has since learned sit, lay down and shake. He will play fetch for hours and loves his kiddy pool in the back yard. He weighs 90 pounds but thinks he’s a lap dog and is not very fond of baths yet. We haven’t been able to fully potty train him yet, but we’re getting there. He loves car rides and we’re trying to work with him on not walking us. He has required a lot of patience and love, but he gives the love back three-fold. He will do just about anything for a treat.
We can’t imagine our life without our Pete, the once stray and possibly abused Shepherd mix. He seems to know that we chose him and is incredibly appreciative for it.