Z is for Zack - Rescue Doberman

ZACK.  Zack was a beautiful black Doberman that Louis Vuitton cared for and loved, as only a mini Dachshund could do.    A few years ago, my daughter Rochelle volunteered at an animal shelter. 

She loved walking this particular black Doberman.  Zack was his name and he was a senior citizen.  The shelter was not sure how old he was, but assumed he was around twelve years.  It was quite unlikely that he would ever be adopted and Rochelle knew what his demise would be.  Her soft spot for dogs, especially Dobermans, drove her to find Zack a home -- her own, of course.


It was obvious that Zack had health issues but Rochelle and Thomas wanted to give him the best chance of living the remainder of his life with a loving family.

Louie adopted Zack and wouldn't leave his side

 

When they brought Zack home, Louie was immediately drawn to him.  He would not leave Zack out of his sight and assumed the role of father.  If Zack walked from one room to another, Louie was there.  If Zack wanted to go outside, Louie followed him.  

Zack had a terrible habit of whining at a very high pitch.  Possibly it was a language that only Louie understood, but it was so irritating that we often had to put Zack in a room and close the doors.  The pitch of the whine hurt human ears.

This drove Louie insane because he HAD to be with Zack in that room.  He would join in the chorus until he was allowed to be with Zack.  
 
"Zack!  If you don't stop that whining, you are going to get a bath!"  That seemed to work most of the time and he would stop until..... he forgot the threat and it would start all over again.

 Zack was insanely jealous and protective of Rochelle

He was overly protective of Rochelle and would not allow Thomas to touch her.  If Thomas came too close to Rochelle, Zack would start to growl at Thomas until he backed off.  He would then pee on the ground around Rochelle to mark his territory letting Thomas know he was not welcome in that circle.  Not knowing Zack's background, Thomas didn't want to take any chances.  He would turn the water on in the shower and Zack would quickly hide.

The shelter was not sure what Zack's history was, but it was apparent that a lot of money had been spent on his care.  He was dropped off at the front door of the shelter without any indication of his former home.

The vet who examined him said he had a metal plate for a leg.  This would have been an expensive operation indicating his owner had cared for him but, for whatever reason, could not keep him any longer.

Zack absolutely loved to romp through the park.  He loved his freedom and was ecstatic to play with the other dogs.  He would take himself for a walk in the park whenever he could sneak out of the yard.  His demeanor was extremely intimidating and would clear the park quickly of anyone walking their little balls of fluff.  "All I want to do is play," Zack would try to communicate to the other dogs but they didn't listen.

He was obsessed with tennis balls and would chew on them until they popped and then want another.  Perhaps this was a way to relieve his frustration -- whatever that might have been.

After he passed away, we found 16 tennis balls hidden in various corners in the house.

 Zack had four legs, but could only run on three

Try to imagine what it would look like to see a full grown black regal Doberman running through the park on three legs.  His fourth leg, the metal one, would stick straight out horizontal to his body as it would not bend.  You wanted to feel sorry for him, but he was such a funny sight and obviously very happy.

We only had him for two years.  We would like to believe it was two of his happiest years.  It was difficult for Louie when Zack left us.  If Louie could talk, I am sure he would be able to enlighten us as to Zack's background and his most innermost thoughts.