Adopted by Annie Altman – September 23, 2012 – San Francisco, California
A few words from Rico’s rescuer/foster mom in Iran:
Rico was only about two months old when she arrived at my home on a cold Winter day. It was late February when I received a phone call from someone letting me know of a little puppy who had been beaten to near death in Fereydoun Kenar. I got to the address as quickly as I could.
I found the frightened little white puppy lying down, drooling from the mouth and moaning from pain, barely alive. Immediately, I put him in the car and rushed to the pet clinic. Unfortunately the doctors who usually take care of us were not there and the pup’s condition was worsening every minute. I got a hold of one of them on the phone. With his guidance over the phone I was able to connect the IV to the dog, right there on the sidewalk and give him some injections until the doctor arrived and took over the process. Poor thing was so weak and in such bad shape for many days that he had no control of his bladder and hid from me in a corner. He could not even stand on his feet and I started to think that he may have had spinal injury. Little thing had just started to gain some strength and interest in food that I learned he had Parvo. For three full weeks he fought for life. I was feeling horrible for subjecting him to so many injections and IVs. Now after all that, the fully recovered little boy is happy and has connected with the rest of the dogs and cats in the house. He is sweet and energetic. With the hard work of Faranak and Vafa team he has migrated to US. I miss him and think of him often. I’m so glad that he has a good home and lives a good life without being beaten or abused. He and his family have a special place in my heart, always.
Naghmeh
Rico’s forever mom writes:
My name is Annie and at the end of May I had to say goodbye to my beloved Chester after 12 years. I vowed I wouldn’t get another dog until the spring/summer of 2013. But as September approached the feeling of emptiness was growing and I started to look on the various rescue websites. And there on the Rocket Dog rescue site was the cutest face that immediately tugged at my heart strings – Rico, In addition to the face and those ears his back story moved me.
So I went to meet Rico at the adoption fair. He had been placed with a foster family. I was concerned because I live in the city of San Francisco and wanted to make sure Rico could deal with the hustle and bustle and I asked if it was possible to do a “test weekend”. I picked him up from his foster home on a Friday afternoon and by Saturday evening I was texting his wonderful foster parents that Rico had found his forever home.
I’ve now been Rico’s mommy for almost two and half months. He continues to grow more confident day by day. Everyone comments on how sweet and silly he is. They are amazed by his back story and it gives me great pleasure to educate people about VAFA – an organization I didn’t know anything about until Rico stumbled into my life.
And everyday my “Persian Prince” makes me smile with his goofy antics. You’ll see what I mean with one of the below pictures. I’ll be sitting at my desk working away and I look back and there he is – lying on back, stretched out, smiling.
I can’t imagine life without him.
