A Tale of Neglect to Happy New Beginnings of Love and Adventure
Surrounded by scrap metal, dirt, and weed overgrowth, Miles spent his youth marooned in his former owner’s back yard, lucky to even get a scrap to eat while chained to a post. Thankfully, an angel of mercy in the form of a Siskiyou County Animal Control Officer discovered him and his plight, quickly removing him from that life of neglect. He was given veterinary care shortly thereafter. At 50 pounds, his ribs were blatantly visible through his skin. The abuse inflicted was obvious. Aside from being emaciated, Miles also needed to have his tail amputated due to severe necrosis. He was held for 1 year in Siskiyou County custody as physical evidence.
Miles was then released into our custody and remained with Rescue Ranch for about 6 months.
Miles initially made clear to us that he had very little tolerance for being in tightly confined areas or in a fenced yard for any length of time. It was made painfully obvious he’d been ignored in his former life and was highly agitated without human interaction.
Like most dogs, he needed interaction and emotional engagement with two-legged friends. To get it, he frequently tried to break free of the kennel or jump fences. He showed that he was Born for the Ball, ‘Fetch’ was in his blood. He never tired of the attention, undoubtedly due to a life of getting none.
He desperately needed something a shelter couldn’t provide to calm his PTSD from neglect — a family. Rescue Ranch is fortunate to have a tight-knit community of dog lovers, so it wasn’t long before a wonderful foster home opened up for Miles. They offered to take him in until we were able to adopt him out to his “furever” family. By the time he was adopted, Miles had transformed into a fully happy boy and gained a healthy amount of weight, having put on almost 40 lbs.
Now surrounded by soft beds, blankets, and couch cushions, Miles lives in the lap of luxury compared to the life he had once known. With his human family, complete with mom, dad, and small children (his two-legged siblings), Miles is doted upon like never before. He loves to snuggle his human companions, including the newest family baby. They also include him in their family adventures in camping, hiking, and beach visits.
Miles has scored the jackpot in his new life with his “furever” family, though the same could be said for his adoptive parents who consider themselves to be the “luckiest pup parents in the world”.
