It was dinnertime, friday April 25th, 2008. I was at work doing the afternoon shift till midnight. I don't read the paper much but was leafing thru it anyhow.
Since I love dogs, the picture on page7 interested me, especially since the dog looked so cute. So I started reading the story and got more disgusted the more I read and more determined to help Remington. Time to go back to work so I put the paper in my lunch bag. The next morning I read the story again and looked at the dog, Remington. The article mentioned the SPCA needed a new home for Remington. I was exited and planning to be the new caretaker of this unfortunate dog. I sent an email to Ivanna at the Chilliwack SPCA informing her of my intentions to adopt Remington. Honestly, I thought I was too late even though it had not been 24 hours since the story appeared in The Province newspaper. Iknew a lot of people would be touched by the story and Remington would already been adopted. Hopes faded untill I got an email back on Sunday. Remington was still there and waiting for a new home! I immediately emailed back I would be coming by on Monday to meet with Ivanna and Remington.

We (my daughter Ashley and I) got there just before lunch and the gates were closed. Disappointed I mentioned to my daughter that we maybe should have made an appointment .Ashley mentioned to phone the number on the sign on the fence. I did and Ivanna answered and sounded very exited when she heard it was me. She came and opened the gate and we introduced. Ivanna mentioned several people came and looked at Remington and that she has had over 40 email inquiries. Then we met Remington, sitting in his kennel and oh so happy when he seen us approaching. Remington was leashed and let out of his kennel. He immediately came over to me, not being afraid or held back at all. I gave him a big hug and Ivanna told me about his habits and how his handicap effected the daily pee and poo ceremonies. We walked him on the parking lot of the compound and it was funny to see him lean against the fence for balance and poo.

Ivanna told me about the habits he has that were not mentioned in the article in the paper. He apparently jumps up at you and sometimes on walks while meeting other dogs (not people) gets angry at them. Playing around with him I immediately noticed he was a very smart dog. He jumped up a few times but on a motion of my hand he immediately would sit and look up atme with this incredible cute smile. When I had him smell my hand and I enticed him to fight with it a bit he always knew to be gentle and not bite down to hard. Very gentle and friendly. I remember Ivana asking me if I had experience as a dog trainer in the police force or anywhere else since Remington behaved so well. I did not I said. It is Remington!

Thinking about it today, 4 days after meeting him for the first time, Remington probably does not know it was a human that cripled him. We will never know if he saw his attacker. One thing is for sure, he is the friendliest and most behaved dog I have seen for a long time. They say he never was trained or taught anything since he was a stray dog. Ivanna told me he does not dirty his kennel. That is so true because he is "house trained", does not beg at the dinner table and does not follow Bentley's bad habits. He is the perfect companion!

Our Husky/Shepard cross which we purchased at the Burnaby SPCA 2-1/2 years ago greets us with so much affection after we have gone for a while or when coming home from work. Remington does not need a lesson here either. After his first night at home, just a short 13 hours since we brought him home, he greeted us with intense affection the next morning. A few hugs and kisses an he goes lay down on his dog bed watching Bonnie (my wife) make breakfast. He just lays there not asking for a thing.

I will report as time permits Remington's daily/weekly progress on the following pages. Saturday he is going for his first groom session at Pet Smart to make his coat blend in with his shaven area. On Sunday he has an interview with the Abbotsford-Mission Times.