Hardy - The Scruffy Old Man

Breed: Wire-haired terrier mix (mutt) Age: Approximately 16 years old  Hardy came to live with us on Christmas Eve of 1996. Jason and I were on our way to visit Mama & Papa in Campbellsville, Kentucky with Portia sound asleep in the back seat. About five miles from our destination we noticed a black dog lying motionless in the emergency lane with a dusting of snow on top of him. As we passed by and both noticed him, we let out simultaneous sad “aww’s”, both thinking what a shame it was for a little dog to be dead on the side of the road on Christmas Eve. Right at that time, his little head popped up and we immediately turned the car around to go get him. The poor guy was in really bad shape. He couldn’t stand or walk, he was skin and bones and he stunk to high heaven. On top of that he had a large gash in the top of his head and what appeared to be several cigarette burns on his face and head. Once we got him home we gave him a much needed bath, which turned the water so black we couldn’t even see through it. We gave him some water and food and a nice comfy beanbag to lay on. His stomach was so empty that he hurled up the water and what little was on his stomach within minutes of drinking. After that there were other projectile bodily fluids, much hobbling around and another bath. It was an eventful evening. Our intention was to keep him through the holidays until the shelter’s opened back up and then let them handle him from there. We were in an apartment at the time and really couldn’t afford the extra dog deposit and increase in payments per month. However, by the time three days had passed and the shelters were open again we ended up taking him to the vet to get a check over and some medication instead of turning him over to the pound. We had grown attached to him in that short time and didn’t want to give him up. The vet sent him home with antibiotics, an anti-inflammatory and some muscle relaxers and within days he was up and walking around on his own. Portia got the honor of naming him (she was almost three), but where she came up with the name Hardy we’ll never know, but it fits him well. Today Hardy is looking like an old man, but surely doesn’t act like it. He still runs and plays with the other dogs, fluffs up his pillows to his liking and enjoys his humans. His sight is hampered by cataracts and he has a hard time hearing, though sometimes I think he practices selective hearing. His favorite activities include sleeping, taking walks where he can pee on everything in site and trying to hump Lois Lane.