Meet Freddy

Meet Freddy. Freddy was scheduled to die in a Mississippi pound on December 27, 2010. That was the day I saved him.

For his first 2 years, Freddy lived a life of neglect. When he ended up at the pound, he was scheduled for euthanasia… simply because of his breed.

Freddy is a Lab/Pit Bull mix, and due to shelter policy, Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes cannot be adopted by the public. Even if a dog is clearly a mixed breed, the slightest Pit characteristics will land a dog on death row. Sadly, Pit Bulls and Bully mixes rarely leave the Mississippi pounds alive.

But Freddy is a Lucky Dog…

When I arrived for him, Freddy was curled-up in the corner of his cage… afraid and timid. Shelter life will do that to the best of them. But I was immediately struck by the change I saw in Freddy the minute we stepped out the door. This once scared little boy was suddenly a completely different dog. It was like I’d flipped the switch on his life from Dead to Alive… and Freddy knew it.

When we got to my car, I said, “You’re going home, buddy!” The smile on his face told me he understood, as he happily jumped right in for the ride.

On the way home, Freddy hung his head out the window, tongue flapping in the wind. I was amazed by his happy attitude and trusting nature, despite the fact that we’d just met. Freddy didn’t know me… he had no idea where I was taking him… and he had no reason to trust me whatsoever. But Freddy immediately gave me his trust, his love, and his joy. These are gifts I’ll treasure for as long as I live.

Each day since, Freddy greets me with a smile that says, “Thank you, Mom.”  He has one of those smiles that makes everyone around him smile too, whether you want to or not. On my very worst day, Freddy’s antics somehow make it better. I can go from tears to laughter with just a glimpse of Freddy’s happy, smiling face. And it turns out, Freddy can heal everyone he meets…

Freddy’s best friend in the world is my rescue baby Pepsi, another black mixed breed. Pepsi has lived with me for 2 years, and she was Rudy’s best friend. After Rudy died, Pepsi went through a severe depression that broke my heart to pieces. It was almost like she’d lost her will to live.



Freddy (left) & Pepsi

But that all changed when Freddy came along...

As soon as they met, Freddy and Pepsi were instant BFFs. I hadn’t seen Pepsi smile that big since before Rudy died, which had been months earlier. As they played, I watched Freddy heal Pepsi, and Pepsi heal Freddy. I cried tears of joy seeing the change in Pepsi’s heart… it was truly one of the most touching things I’ve ever witnessed.

At that moment, I looked up to the sky and said a special “thank you” to Rudy… because that’s when I realized that he’d sent Freddy to heal his best friend's heart.

Every day, Freddy and Pepsi play together… and they can seriously play for hours. They run full-speed into one another, tackle each other, and chase the other around to do it all over again. Sometimes when I call them to come inside, they’re playing so hard that they don’t even hear me. At least… that’s what I tell myself. They’re probably secretly whispering, “Just ignore her and she’ll go away.”

Freddy jumping on his Ashley-Mom

But Freddy is a “Mama’s boy,” and honestly… if I’m around, he usually doesn’t care about anything else. He’s so funny about it too… he’ll do just about anything to be right by my side. One of Freddy’s favorite things to do is to crawl out from under the fence. But he doesn’t do this to run away… oh no. Freddy crawls under the fence, and then runs around the side of the building to see what I’m doing. My kennel-cleaning activity is usually pretty boring, but he likes to watch me anyway. When I lead him back to the yard, Pepsi’s always waiting there at the gate like, “Um… hellooo??? Way to put a damper on playtime, buddy.” So, I put him in the fence and they’re back to playing, until Freddy comes to find me again.

Freddy also had a temporary fixation with peeing in his water bowl. Now… when I say this, I don’t mean that Freddy peed near the bowl or beside the bowl… and there was no “accident” here. He’d look at the bowl, lift his leg, adjust his aim, and pee directly into the water. Then, he’d turn around and go to take a sip, with a look of disgust on his face like, “Yeah… I’m not drinking that.” His sweet little punk eyes would look to me like, “Mommm, can you fix this??” So, I’d refill the water, watch him take a sip, and then lift his leg and pee in it again. This would go on all day, and while I was pretty impressed by it, I’m so freaking thankful that we finally resolved that issue.

It’s now June… Freddy’s 6^th month with me. And while I love him with my whole heart, I just can’t understand why—with all of his awesomeness—he hasn’t found a family to adopt him. In all honesty… I’ve never even received one Adoption Application for Freddy. But I’d never tell him that though… it would probably make him sad. It makes me sad too…

Freddy is a 2 year old, black, Lab/Pit Bull mix. He lives with me at Lucky Dog Rescue in Meridian, Mississippi. Freddy is neutered, fully vaccinated, and heartworm negative. Despite his past, he has the most amazing happy-go-lucky disposition. Freddy loves people, dogs, and car rides. He loves yards for running, toys for playing, and bones for chewing. He loves special kisses, loving hugs, and good old fashioned belly rubs. He loves his best friend Pepsi, and she loves him. My secret wish is that they could be adopted together… but I realize that some wishes just don’t come true.

But, most of all… Freddy loves me… and he will LOVE YOU too.

Freddy’s been waiting all his life to have a loving family of his own. He just needs someone to give him the chance to show he’s special. Until now, no one has ever wanted my Freddy. But I’m praying that today… maybe the right someone will read this… and make his dreams come true. Please, I am begging you… help me give that to him.

Since the day I met Freddy almost 6 months ago, 5 little words have lived in my heart. And that’s where they’ll stay, until I can finally look my baby boy in the eyes, and say, “You’re going home forever, buddy.”  

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT ONLINE ADOPTION APPLICATION FOR FREDDY!

Click to read my original blog about Pepsi:

Just Another Black Dog