A big-little man of mystery · Shoot the Dog, Volume Four, page 51
"Harry is not his real name": a rescue dog's imagined past
Every rescue dog comes with a past nobody quite knows. Harry's mum decided to fill in the gaps herself.
Harry is a Jack Russell cross Dachshund, "a big-little man of mystery", according to his page in Shoot the Dog, Volume Four. It explains where the mystery began:
When the rescue group said "Harry is not his real name" his mum preferred to imagine him escaping his former life of crime as a scotch drinking, cigarette smoking, thrill seeker who loved getaway cars; instead of the thought of him abandoned on the streets.
We think that is one of the kindest things anyone has done for a dog's backstory.
Challenges, and rewards
His family do not pretend it was all easy. "A rescue dog often comes with challenges, but the rewards quickly melt your heart." Since moving into his forever home, "Harry's life has changed for the better".
These days the getaway cars are behind him. He prefers chasing the seagulls on the beach, or hanging out with his dog buddies at the nearby park.
Still a little nervous
The page ends honestly, the way the best rescue pages do:
Harry still gets a little nervous when a car backfires or during a thunderstorm, but nothing that cuddles on the couch with his mum can't fix.
Look at the portrait above: soft ears, bright eyes, a blue bow tie, and the beach behind him. Not a career criminal in sight. Then again, that is exactly what one would want you to think.
Rescue at the heart of it
Every family photographed for Shoot the Dog paid a $100 participation fee, and all of it went directly to an animal rescue group. Where the $100 went tells that story, and names the five rescues.