HAPPILY EVER AFTER
TUGG THE BULL TERRIER PUPPY
Left for dead on the side of the road. . .
before Sa s ha L e v i ne re p o rt s
Superheroes originate from the most unexpected places. On the night July 6, 2010, a call came into the Fort Worth police dispatch. One little puppy was reported as badly burned on the side of a busy road. When the police officer arrived at the location, he found a blanket that was staked to the ground, and on that stake was a small sign that read “dog.” Waiting for animal control to arrive, the officer sat for about an hour with the future little superhero—an eleven-pound, fourmonth-old Bull Terrier puppy, who had been tightly wrapped in that blanket.
photos courtesy of Blake Ovard
Blake Ovard, Fort Collins Animal Control Officer, had no idea how much his life would change from just one look at this pup. He describes the dog as having been “almost one big scab because of all the sores and infections. But he was still sweet and cute—in one of those ugly cute kind of ways… He got his name because he tugged at our heart strings sitting all alone in the kennel cage, basically blind, and just wanting to be loved. So, his name became Tugg almost immediately,” he says. Ovard explains that even though it was first thought Tugg had been badly
120 Summer 2011 | The American Dog Magazine
burned, upon further examination at the shelter determined that he actually had an severe case of demodex mange and secondary infections. Not only that, but the pup had also developed kennel cough and had become lethargic from malnutrition and dehydration. “His eyes were swollen shut from the infections, and he could barely find his way around the cage he was in.” Because Animal Control does not provide the type of medical attention that Tugg desperately needed, the staff searched for any rescue to take him. Over a week went by with no results. But Ovard noticed