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How a little shaggy dog came full circle and found his way back to me.  Gunnar's story is one for the ages, I promise.
About eleven years ago, I discovered a little shaggy dog tied up on the "porch" of a trailer. The kicker was that the dog was outside during an ice storm in the middle of Winter. The animal welfare laws in my area are generously biased in favor of pet owners. Pets are considered property. Pets are supposed to have shelter; Gunnar had a leaky roof over his head — considered a shelter and access to a bucket with dirty water. His rope was 10 feet long, the minimum required length, so keeping him outside was legal. We reported the residence to animal control, and the dog disappeared for a few days. Before you knew it, he was outside again. Rinse and repeat! I don't remember exactly how many times, but I drove by his location almost every night to check on him, and I had a pit in my stomach from worrying. Rain, snow, ice, winter storms — the little golden dog was outside, exposed to the elements. The longer this went on, the more my heart sank. Then the unthinkable happened. One faithful evening before Christmas, I walked by the residence again. I saw the dog play with a stick; he wasn't tied up. Nobody was in sight. What unfolded next was nothing short of a miracle. When Gunnar saw me getting closer to his porch, he made a beeline, flattened his body like a pancake, and somehow squeezed himself under the enclosure's yard door and ran out! He charged after us. Holding my breath, I power-walked with my dogs and Gunnar back to my house and took him inside. Hallelujah! I posted him on the local shelter's lost and found section, which is legally required by finders of animals at large.I figured his people would look for him, but they didn't. Truth be told, I could live with that because Gunnar was FREE. I had a house full of critters then, but I was confident we would find a long-term placement for him. And voilà, after the legal hold time, we found an adopter for Gunnar. Initially, it was a good fit. As the years went by, it became apparent that Gunnar was somewhat neglected. When I found out about this, it had been two years since I had last seen Gunnar. I was shocked when I saw him: Gunnar was matted, dirty and starving for attention. Eventually, the adopters agreed to relinquish Gunnar. Yay! Now Gunnar gets cuddles, walks, grooming, good food, and veterinary care. Most importantly, we are deliriously happy. Pablo, his dog brother, adores him. My cat Esme likes him, too, and Gunnar reciprocates the sentiment. Gunnar has felt right at home and knows he is loved, ALWAYS AND FOREVER. You can read Gunnar's full story on Medium
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