Who among us is not affected by a story that truly touches the heart. Foothills Humane Society has just such a story and his name is Jag. In September 2015, Jag, presumed to be a Chinese Sharpei crossed with Boxer, was chained to a house as it burned to the ground beside him.

Can you imagine the fear and psychological impact such a drastic event would cause you? I prefer not to! Michael Herman, Green Creek Fire Department’s chief at the time, arrived on the scene and found Jag abandoned and securely bound to the burned structure. As Polk County’s Animal Control officer, Michael knew Jag would need immediate medical attention and rehabilitation so he transported him to Foothills.

The dog had been chained so long during his life that his skin had completely grown around his collar and the wounds were still unhealed and festering with infection. To this day, he has raised scar tissue surrounding his neck. Additional skin infections throughout Jag’s body were so severe that antibiotic medication was administered for over one month prior to being well enough for sterilization surgery to be performed.

During the summer of 2016, after languishing for 10 months, the president of the board, David Pritchard, agreed to handle Jag during the shelter’s dog training classes. In the beginning, Jag was uncomfortable and nervous, but David’s patient ways won the animal’s trust and eventually Jag excelled and received Canine Good Citizen’s certification from AKC (The American Kennel Club).

When living a life wherein a dog must eat, exercise and defecate confined to the length of a chain with stray animals periodically invading that space, it is easy to understand why Jag exhibits mistrust of other animals. Finding an adoption family without existing pets is challenging for staff as many locals already have multiple animals in their homes. However, we invite those of you with the heart for a special case to visit this handsome dog with a teddy bear’s face who loves belly rubs and cookies. Jag is rarely vocal, completely house broken and would be considered rather sedate.

Staff would be most pleased to introduce you and we hope to see you soon at 989 Little Mountain Road in Columbus.

Sharon Rose, Columbus, N.C.