Bosco

Bosco was limping across PICO Blvd, a VERY busy 4-lane street. I was on the clock finishing an errand. I did my usual, honked my horn, flashed my lights, turned my car into oncoming traffic, forcing them to slow down or hit me as I did a HUGE u-turn around the limping dog, so that he could get safely to the other side.

Strangers help me corral him and lift him into my truck. He was an emaciated Bull breed. American Bull Dog, Pit mix, sumptin’ sumptin’ mixed with sumptin’ else. Missing most of his teeth on one side of his mouth he panted hard on that HOT LA day.

I lived at The Beach House on the Venice Boardwalk and they did not allow dogs (even though I was hiding one). Even if they did I could just tell, my cat that had just survived my fire would not stand a chance. So I left him in my truck, in my garage, for the night. The next morning I went to walk him but found he didn’t wait for his walk. He had eaten an ENTIRE bag of CAT food I had forgotten AND the rescue food I kept under my seat. Canned and wet pouch food used to help capture fearful strays. Bosco had pooped all over the car. I mean ALL over the car! And this wasn’t the easy to clean kind of poop. I had to use garbage bags over the seat to drive it to get it detailed. One GALLON of Nature Miracle and 300 dollars later, it still had an ode’to-dog-kennel scent.

I called a new friend who had been interested in helping me complete my film; she suggested and helped me board him at her vet in Beverly Hills where a prominent LA rescue group also boarded their rescues. (She paid the nearly $2000 boarding fee for the six months he was boarded.)

Bosco was so glad to be off the streets and with people he would wag and wag and WAG his tail so hard that the tip was constantly bloody from hitting the chain link in his kennel. With the tip of his tail bandaged, I took Bosco every Saturday and Sunday to the AdoptAChowLA.com Adoption Event at the Centinela Feed Store in West LA.

During the week a select few of the vets rescue group dog walkers were qualified enough (strong enough) to walk Bosco. Bosco did not care for other dogs, cats, or anything with fur.

In six months of taking him to adoption Bosco never had even one application. Then I heard from the rescue coordinator at the vet’s office one of their (his) dog walkers was interested in adopting him! She gave me the thumbs up and HIGHLY recommended him and the application was purely a formality. Bosco had a new HOME!

I emailed back and forth with his new dad. Checking on how the transition into the new home went. The first day he was left alone… he broke out of the crate and ate the curtains and some furniture. Oh no, my heart sank. I prepared for Bosco to be returned. But…no…his new dad did not concede. He was a keeper. Then Bosco, who had a reoccurring sore, needed it surgerically removed and then again removed after it regrew. After which Bosco was good-to-go. Go to be the best dog in the world. And he did.

And now, I read Bosco recently died. But he died a hero. You need to read the letter his Dad wrote.

I will post it here tomorrow.