The date was Dec. 16, 2010 and it was a very cold, drizzly day.  After a day of teaching classes, I showed up at Wild Bird Rescue to feed my education birds and do my duties as Assistant Director.  I have since retired from teaching and now I’m the E.D.   As I walked in the door, the former director, Bob, warned me an emaciated young dog was hanging around the building growling at all the volunteers.  He had called Animal Control which should be at the rescue center within a half hour to pick him up. Of course being nosy and the animal lover that I am, I put back on my coat and went outside to investigate.  The pup slowly came up to me and let me stroke him on the head.  Bob yelled out the door, “Since he comes to you, see if you can get him locked up in the kennel that’s over by the aviary” which I promptly did.  The pup curled up in a shivering ball on the wet grass.  I went inside to get a blank to over the dog with until AC came.

I decided to sit in the 6 by 8 ft. kennel with the pup until they arrived to pick him up. In a while Bob looked out the door of the rescue center to check on why I hadn’t come back inside.   Well…the minute I sat down beside this growling pup, he climbed up in my lap and collapsed in a deep sleep.  I just yelled to Bob to call AC and tell them not to come.  The pup spent the night with my vet on IV fluids and would be in and out of his office for about a week.  He weighed 20 lbs. on Dec. 16, 2010.  At the time the vet estimated his age to be 6 months.  Here he is today at 80 lbs.  He does agility, and will soon start competing in novice obedience and also is also enrolled in my dog club’s therapy dog training class and will soon be testing with the Delta Society.  He is Afghan Hound/GSD.  I know this because I was able to track down the lady who DELIBERATELY bred her Afghan to a GSD!  I named him Hap. The origin of the name is from the Old Norse and it means luck or fortune.  I am not sure who is luckier, me or Hap.  He has never growled again for any reason since that Dec. day.  I love this dog!!!