His name tells his story, he is a ‘trooper’ to still be alive.  A few ‘angels’  helped him along the way to his final destination, a Service Dog for a Veteran….

I got the call from Brenda Woody of Better Life Canine Center, telling me she had a dog she thought was great for our program. Being familiar with us, as Tiger another Stiggy’s Dog also came form the same rescue group.  I went to her Facebook page and read the notes about his story, the picture of how skinny he was, no fur growth, unhealed wounds….I was instantly moved.  Here is part of the story I read:

April 2nd - His first day!

“Buddy” showed up in the yard of a concrete company in Detroit. Some of the caring employees, Joe and Jim, fed him, made a house for him, and looked for him everyday, even though “Buddy” was terrified of them at first. Soon “Buddy” let them pet his head and suddenly “Buddy” showed the love all dogs have!! Unfortunately some of the employees were not so concerned and their plan was to shoot “Buddy” and throw him in the river! Joe and Jim Better Life Canine Center and we got him into the vet! His future will be incredible! We changed his name to Trooper. We have no idea what his life has been, but we are certain he is lucky to be alive!!

Donna Fournier, or Director of Training and I went to meet Trooper the next day. It took one visit and Trooper became part of our training team..

I personally was instantly in love, his big block head, his orange eyes staring right through me……He was going to be a hard one to let go! Trooper is the biggest baby, a gentle giant, a big lover boy, a Troop-A-Dore! Trooper desires to be loved, and his main motivation is to please. Don’t get me wrong, he loves his treats, and very focused on learning, but at the end of the day….he thinks he is a lap dog! It has been inspiring watching Trooper learn, grow, heal and trust….

Physically, he has grown into himself . His skin is clear, his weight is on and his fur is now a pretty brindle. Emotionally, he wants to please, to love, to give and to get (some loving!!!)  Trooper is willing to work through unknown situations with you, wanting to trust but still a little unsure. Trooper is now potty trained, crate trained, knows basic commands (thanks to the extra effort from Jamie Gorm). Trooper is ready to test soon for his Canine Good Citizen Certification . We are so proud!