"This is a story about a very skinny red Chow Chow that was playing in the busy streets here in Phoenix, Arizona. 

"We were at our doctor’s office, it was early evening and we were his last patients. We noticed four boys throwing rocks at a dog. The dog looked really bad, skinny and dirty. I asked the boys if that was their dog, they laughed saying no, never seen him before, and threw another rock. I called my husband back outside and we told them to leave the dog alone. 

"I had a water bowl that I always carry in our truck for our dogs, my husband got some water. The dog came up and drank all the water up in no time. I had my Cairn Terrier, Ivan, in our truck because he goes to work with me everyday. In fact he goes in the Bank, Grocery stores, Pharmacy & just about everywhere I go in because I don’t leave animals in our vehicles. 

"Anyway, the red male Chow Chow had a black harness on but when I looked, no tags. Our doctor’s staff said that the dog had been hanging around that area all day. We decided to take him home to feed him and find his owner somehow.  My husband gave him a bath, he just stood in the shower letting us clean him up & taking off his black harness. Would you believe that this harness was tattooed into his body and taken off all his hair; we found missing hair around his ankles letting us know he had been hobbled. 

"After posting and contacting everyone and every place, a month had gone by.  During this time our 8 year old black Chow Chow, Nikita, passed away suddenly, we were devastated.  She had been with us since 6 weeks old. After spending three days home due to her death, my husband decided to take “Red” (we called him this) to our vet & be checked over. 

"Red is a very passive dog. The vet told us that most Chow Chows that have been traumatized to the extent that Red had been treated don’t usually recover and do not trust anyone. The vet could not believe how attached he is with us in such a short time. No one came forward to claim him even with all the advertising that we had done to find his owner, but after looking him over I don’t know if I could have given him back to his first owner. 

"Red knows all the commands, can stay inside with the front door wide open, loves to go for a walk or to go bye-bye. We can pick him up and turn him over on his back and hold him like a baby. He didn’t even know how to bark, the first time he barked, it scared him! The vet thinks he was between 2-3 years old, but let me tell you he didn’t know how to even play which he now does. 

"As of today we have our Cocker Spaniel "Sammy", Ivan the Cairn and Red along with a Schipperke that I am taking care of for a friend. All the dogs play, go for walks, go bye-bye, eat, and sleep (on our bed with us) together.  We are getting ready to move onto 5 acres. We are home bodies that are retired, so the dogs are our kids & spoiled, spoiled, spoiled, or so everyone tells us. 

"We love Chow Chows, they are trustworthy, loyal, and have so much love to give. Our grandchildren have been raised around them. Nikita came into our life when our first grandson was one and a half years old; they were best friends and played together.  Keep up the good work telling people how great these dogs are and not to abuse them or dump them off some place. They get along with everyone in your family and do not get aggressive unless someone is harming a family member.  

"Nikita kept a man from taking our oldest grandson out of our front yard. She was a special dog who could also climb trees when she was chasing the cats and playing with them.  I have pictures and movies of this dog as some people don’t believe me – I didn’t at first believe what I was seeing the first time either!"

                                                                  The Wooden Family