Underdog to Wonder dog

I watched a show on Animal Planet this afternoon for the very first time; it's called Underdog to Wonder Dog. It's about a rescue group that takes dogs with behavioural problems, trains them, and finds adoptive homes for them.

On today's episode, the dog they rescued was a three year-old bi-black Shetland Sheepdog named Chase.  Chase was an absolutely frenetic dog when the rescue coordinator went to the shelter to see him, jumping up and down in the kennel and running around like a maniac outside. He had been brought into a shelter by his family who they said he was just too much trouble. Luckily this shelter and rescue group decided that Chase needed a second chance but that in the shelter he never would get adopted.

Chase reminded me of both Ceilidh and Beckett at the same time and I wonder what they would have been like if they didn't have an outlet for some of their energy.

The home they found for Chase was on a horse ranch but before they could adopt Chase to the family they had to make sure Chase would be good with horses.  At first it didn't look good, Chase did exactly what his name said he chased every animal that moved, sheep, horses. But with a lot of patience they trained Chase to do his job, stay on his spot when told, to be calm around horses and to always come when he was called.

Chase looked like a different dog when he was finally introduced to the rest of the family. I thought, boy, I wish I was Chase, to live on a horse ranch; that would be a dream.  And then the rescue coordinator came on at the end of the show and said in life not every story has a happy ending. I thought,  no, they weren't able to keep Chase. But it was worse, a few months after being adopted, Chase was struck by a car and sadly died. They dedicated the show to Chase and the family who had adopted him and missed him so much. They filled the last few minutes of the show with pictures and videos of Chase with his new family.

I was surprised at how much I was affected by a little dog I never knew but then again maybe it wasn't so surprising as it made me think of losing Ceilidh.  At least Chase got to live with a family who actually loved him if only for a little while.