My four children.. They were abandoned in or around our village (except for Sammy - read on). Lulu was severely dehydrated, full of fleas and ticks and had Demodex mange. Added to that...

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

They were abandoned in or around our village (except for Sammy - read on).

Lulu was severely dehydrated, full of fleas and ticks and had Demodex mange. Added to that she had aborted but later she was found to still be carrying one puppy. She was unable to deliver so she needed a caesarian section. Unfortunately, the pup died an hour later. We estimate Lulu is about 8 years old now. She has the most wonderful temperament. The queen of our household. She is so gentle. We love her to bits!

Sammy is not a fan of water but somehow he was in the river for a short while that day and, in this picture determined not to go in again!

We have had Sammy for about 6 years, he came to us shortly after we took Lulu in. In truth Sammy adopted us; he was a street dog and just tagged along with us one afternoon when my wife and I were walking home. He just skipped along with us. When we reached our front door he trotted in without being asked and went to say hello to Lulu then went into the kitchen to find the water bowl. We tossed him out after an hour or so of playing with Lulu because he seemed quite well looked after and we presumed he had a permanent home. After a couple of hours, he was back, sitting in the front hall (in Spain our front door is always open). We let him come in and Lulu was being fed so he ate too. That night we tossed him out again and the next morning he was in the front hall again. This went on for a couple of days.

My wife took his picture and showed it around to friends in the village and found where he 'lived'. She spoke to the Spanish guy and he said that yes, 'Chico', does stay with them but not always and if Chico was happy with us to keep him because his wife was tired of all the white hair in the house! So we kept him but we were already calling him Sammy. We had him wormed vaccinated, chipped and castrated and he settled in well.

A week or so later we were walking Sammy and Lulu in the village and suddenly a little boy ran up to 'Sammy/Chico' and said "Ah, mi Curro'!!! Sammy obviously knew him. The boy's mother came over and told us that Chico/Curro/Sammy does stay with them now and again and they feed him but they can't keep him because they are tenants and not allowed to keep pets so if we are OK with it, we should keep him and the boy will see him when we are walking. So Sammy was ours! We are not aware of any other pied a terre he might have had!

Of the canine pack Sammy is el jefe - the boss, even Río will not cross him. There was an anxious time when Charlie arrived because Charlie is a strong character too and there were fights but they now have mutual respect for each other and Sammy is still el jefe - just!

Río, my friend, was abandoned close to the sports centre when he was very young. He was very shy and would not come close. I would see him every day when taking Lulu and Sammy to the park for exercise. Even when I took food for him I had to put it down and leave it and he would eat it after we left. After about a week of this, I cut some cubes of bread and sat on a bench near the rubbish bins he patrolled. I threw him some pieces which he ate I and continued dropping pieces closer and closer until he was at arm's length. Then I held a piece in the palm of my hand. He came closer, sat in front of me, ate the bread and then put his head in my lap and looked up at me. That was it! We had three!

Río was also in poor condition. He had lost some of his coat and had bald patches and he was terribly thin, but the worst things were his feet. They were flattened and bleeding and he had lost most of his nails. Those that were left were hanging loose. He had trouble walking. The vet did tests and he had a severe fungal infection which took a month of medication to fix but after that he was fine and his coat had returned to normal, he is always super-shiny. He is a big baby even though he is now an estimated four years old and weighs 32 kilos (65lbs). My pal!

Charlie is about 12 months old and he copies everything Río does. Lulu mothers him. He was sleeping rough in the village square having been thrown out of a local bar. We have had him for about 6 months now and he has been a real trial, probably the reason for his abandonment: chewing things and not at all house-trained. We have persevered and he is much better now; the most difficult dog I have ever house-trained. But he is so cute one can forgive him everything! Oh and we learned his previous name: APOLLO! 😅

Río

(Download)

Lulu
Lulu...

(Download)

Río enjoying the river
Río enjoying the river...

(Download)

Sammy not enjoying the river
Sammy not enjoying the river...

(Download)

Río in his element
Río in his element...

(Download)

Our latest addition, little Charlie

(Download)

My pal
My pal...

(Download)

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

rafikiphoto wrote:

They were abandoned in or around our village (except for Sammy - read on).

Lulu was severely dehydrated, full of fleas and ticks and had Demodex mange. Added to that she had aborted but later she was found to still be carrying one puppy. She was unable to deliver so she needed a caesarian section. Unfortunately, the pup died an hour later. We estimate Lulu is about 8 years old now. She has the most wonderful temperament. The queen of our household. She is so gentle. We love her to bits!

Sammy is not a fan of water but somehow he was in the river for a short while that day and, in this picture determined not to go in again!

We have had Sammy for about 6 years, he came to us shortly after we took Lulu in. In truth Sammy adopted us; he was a street dog and just tagged along with us one afternoon when my wife and I were walking home. He just skipped along with us. When we reached our front door he trotted in without being asked and went to say hello to Lulu then went into the kitchen to find the water bowl. We tossed him out after an hour or so of playing with Lulu because he seemed quite well looked after and we presumed he had a permanent home. After a couple of hours, he was back, sitting in the front hall (in Spain our front door is always open). We let him come in and Lulu was being fed so he ate too. That night we tossed him out again and the next morning he was in the front hall again. This went on for a couple of days.

My wife took his picture and showed it around to friends in the village and found where he 'lived'. She spoke to the Spanish guy and he said that yes, 'Chico', does stay with them but not always and if Chico was happy with us to keep him because his wife was tired of all the white hair in the house! So we kept him but we were already calling him Sammy. We had him wormed vaccinated, chipped and castrated and he settled in well.

A week or so later we were walking Sammy and Lulu in the village and suddenly a little boy ran up to 'Sammy/Chico' and said "Ah, mi Curro'!!! Sammy obviously knew him. The boy's mother came over and told us that Chico/Curro/Sammy does stay with them now and again and they feed him but they can't keep him because they are tenants and not allowed to keep pets so if we are OK with it, we should keep him and the boy will see him when we are walking. So Sammy was ours! We are not aware of any other pied a terre he might have had!

Of the canine pack Sammy is el jefe - the boss, even Río will not cross him. There was an anxious time when Charlie arrived because Charlie is a strong character too and there were fights but they now have mutual respect for each other and Sammy is still el jefe - just!

Río, my friend, was abandoned close to the sports centre when he was very young. He was very shy and would not come close. I would see him every day when taking Lulu and Sammy to the park for exercise. Even when I took food for him I had to put it down and leave it and he would eat it after we left. After about a week of this, I cut some cubes of bread and sat on a bench near the rubbish bins he patrolled. I threw him some pieces which he ate I and continued dropping pieces closer and closer until he was at arm's length. Then I held a piece in the palm of my hand. He came closer, sat in front of me, ate the bread and then put his head in my lap and looked up at me. That was it! We had three!

Río was also in poor condition. He had lost some of his coat and had bald patches and he was terribly thin, but the worst things were his feet. They were flattened and bleeding and he had lost most of his nails. Those that were left were hanging loose. He had trouble walking. The vet did tests and he had a severe fungal infection which took a month of medication to fix but after that he was fine and his coat had returned to normal, he is always super-shiny. He is a big baby even though he is now an estimated four years old and weighs 32 kilos (65lbs). My pal!

Charlie is about 12 months old and he copies everything Río does. Lulu mothers him. He was sleeping rough in the village square having been thrown out of a local bar. We have had him for about 6 months now and he has been a real trial, probably the reason for his abandonment: chewing things and not at all house-trained. We have persevered and he is much better now; the most difficult dog I have ever house-trained. But he is so cute one can forgive him everything! Oh and we learned his previous name: APOLLO! 😅

They were abandoned in or around our village (exce... (show quote)

You area REAL dog lover and Good Samaritan to take in these poor unhealthy digs and getting them back to health. I applaud you.

Good story & great pictures, too.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

Great shots and beautiful dogs.

NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

Your rescues rewarded you with some terrific shots. Nicely done

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

rafikiphoto wrote:

They were abandoned in or around our village (except for Sammy - read on).

Lulu was severely dehydrated, full of fleas and ticks and had Demodex mange. Added to that she had aborted but later she was found to still be carrying one puppy. She was unable to deliver so she needed a caesarian section. Unfortunately, the pup died an hour later. We estimate Lulu is about 8 years old now. She has the most wonderful temperament. The queen of our household. She is so gentle. We love her to bits!

Sammy is not a fan of water but somehow he was in the river for a short while that day and, in this picture determined not to go in again!

We have had Sammy for about 6 years, he came to us shortly after we took Lulu in. In truth Sammy adopted us; he was a street dog and just tagged along with us one afternoon when my wife and I were walking home. He just skipped along with us. When we reached our front door he trotted in without being asked and went to say hello to Lulu then went into the kitchen to find the water bowl. We tossed him out after an hour or so of playing with Lulu because he seemed quite well looked after and we presumed he had a permanent home. After a couple of hours, he was back, sitting in the front hall (in Spain our front door is always open). We let him come in and Lulu was being fed so he ate too. That night we tossed him out again and the next morning he was in the front hall again. This went on for a couple of days.

My wife took his picture and showed it around to friends in the village and found where he 'lived'. She spoke to the Spanish guy and he said that yes, 'Chico', does stay with them but not always and if Chico was happy with us to keep him because his wife was tired of all the white hair in the house! So we kept him but we were already calling him Sammy. We had him wormed vaccinated, chipped and castrated and he settled in well.

A week or so later we were walking Sammy and Lulu in the village and suddenly a little boy ran up to 'Sammy/Chico' and said "Ah, mi Curro'!!! Sammy obviously knew him. The boy's mother came over and told us that Chico/Curro/Sammy does stay with them now and again and they feed him but they can't keep him because they are tenants and not allowed to keep pets so if we are OK with it, we should keep him and the boy will see him when we are walking. So Sammy was ours! We are not aware of any other pied a terre he might have had!

Of the canine pack Sammy is el jefe - the boss, even Río will not cross him. There was an anxious time when Charlie arrived because Charlie is a strong character too and there were fights but they now have mutual respect for each other and Sammy is still el jefe - just!

Río, my friend, was abandoned close to the sports centre when he was very young. He was very shy and would not come close. I would see him every day when taking Lulu and Sammy to the park for exercise. Even when I took food for him I had to put it down and leave it and he would eat it after we left. After about a week of this, I cut some cubes of bread and sat on a bench near the rubbish bins he patrolled. I threw him some pieces which he ate I and continued dropping pieces closer and closer until he was at arm's length. Then I held a piece in the palm of my hand. He came closer, sat in front of me, ate the bread and then put his head in my lap and looked up at me. That was it! We had three!

Río was also in poor condition. He had lost some of his coat and had bald patches and he was terribly thin, but the worst things were his feet. They were flattened and bleeding and he had lost most of his nails. Those that were left were hanging loose. He had trouble walking. The vet did tests and he had a severe fungal infection which took a month of medication to fix but after that he was fine and his coat had returned to normal, he is always super-shiny. He is a big baby even though he is now an estimated four years old and weighs 32 kilos (65lbs). My pal!

Charlie is about 12 months old and he copies everything Río does. Lulu mothers him. He was sleeping rough in the village square having been thrown out of a local bar. We have had him for about 6 months now and he has been a real trial, probably the reason for his abandonment: chewing things and not at all house-trained. We have persevered and he is much better now; the most difficult dog I have ever house-trained. But he is so cute one can forgive him everything! Oh and we learned his previous name: APOLLO! 😅

They were abandoned in or around our village (exce... (show quote)

I'm really enjoying your photos. The story adds a lot of interest to these photos. It sheds some light into the dog's personalities; but much more into your kindness and respect for the animals.
Erich

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

GrandmaG wrote:

You are a REAL dog lover and Good Samaritan to take in these poor unhealthy dogs and getting them back to health. I applaud you.

Good story & great pictures, too.

Thank you, Christina. I only wish we could do more. We have a small house with patios, not garden and even four of them is a lot for its size. I seem to be forever walking them but, hey, that's good for me right!

I have a good relationship with our vet and she and I have recently rescued another, just like Río, and handed him on to an association which has found him a home in Malaga. Spain has tens of thousands of abandoned dogs, a great many of them abused too. It breaks my heart.

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

NJFrank wrote:

Your rescues rewarded you with some terrific shots. Nicely done

Thanks. I sometimes think the look on their faces is saying "Not more photos, dad."!

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

ebrunner wrote:

I'm really enjoying your photos. The story adds a lot of interest to these photos. It sheds some light into the dog's personalities; but much more into your kindness and respect for the animals.
Erich

Thank you, Erich. You are right, they are wonderful personalities. They are easy to love.

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

WayneT wrote:

Great shots and beautiful dogs.

Thank you, Wayne.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Anyone who has ever rescued a throw-away animal, or wished they could, is grateful for your above and beyond efforts, Brian.

Each image seems to reflect the bits of personality you shared in your stories, but I'm particularly drawn to the joy and energy displayed by Rio in the river shots.

I'm curious if you ever considered a series (photo storytelling) such as "My walk with Rio" or "A day in the life of..." ?

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

Linda From Maine wrote:

I'm curious if you ever considered a series (photo storytelling) such as "My walk with Rio" or "A day in the life of..." ?

Thanks, Linda. I wish we could do more. It has been so rewarding. A couple of weeks before we took Lulu into our home Polly, our dear Jack Russell died a couple of weeks short of her 17th birthday and we said at that time that we wouldn't have another dog for a while but the sight of Lulu tore at our hearts and we relented.

I haven't taken many dog walk pictures recently but I do have a series from a few years ago when we had just Lulu and Sammy (it was easier to cope with a camera and two dogs). I'll try to remember to sort them out and post a few. There are some amusing ones.

Our dear, late Polly
Our dear, late Polly...

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

rafikiphoto wrote:

They were abandoned in or around our village (except for Sammy - read on).

Lulu was severely dehydrated, full of fleas and ticks and had Demodex mange. Added to that she had aborted but later she was found to still be carrying one puppy. She was unable to deliver so she needed a caesarian section. Unfortunately, the pup died an hour later. We estimate Lulu is about 8 years old now. She has the most wonderful temperament. The queen of our household. She is so gentle. We love her to bits!

Sammy is not a fan of water but somehow he was in the river for a short while that day and, in this picture determined not to go in again!

We have had Sammy for about 6 years, he came to us shortly after we took Lulu in. In truth Sammy adopted us; he was a street dog and just tagged along with us one afternoon when my wife and I were walking home. He just skipped along with us. When we reached our front door he trotted in without being asked and went to say hello to Lulu then went into the kitchen to find the water bowl. We tossed him out after an hour or so of playing with Lulu because he seemed quite well looked after and we presumed he had a permanent home. After a couple of hours, he was back, sitting in the front hall (in Spain our front door is always open). We let him come in and Lulu was being fed so he ate too. That night we tossed him out again and the next morning he was in the front hall again. This went on for a couple of days.

My wife took his picture and showed it around to friends in the village and found where he 'lived'. She spoke to the Spanish guy and he said that yes, 'Chico', does stay with them but not always and if Chico was happy with us to keep him because his wife was tired of all the white hair in the house! So we kept him but we were already calling him Sammy. We had him wormed vaccinated, chipped and castrated and he settled in well.

A week or so later we were walking Sammy and Lulu in the village and suddenly a little boy ran up to 'Sammy/Chico' and said "Ah, mi Curro'!!! Sammy obviously knew him. The boy's mother came over and told us that Chico/Curro/Sammy does stay with them now and again and they feed him but they can't keep him because they are tenants and not allowed to keep pets so if we are OK with it, we should keep him and the boy will see him when we are walking. So Sammy was ours! We are not aware of any other pied a terre he might have had!

Of the canine pack Sammy is el jefe - the boss, even Río will not cross him. There was an anxious time when Charlie arrived because Charlie is a strong character too and there were fights but they now have mutual respect for each other and Sammy is still el jefe - just!

Río, my friend, was abandoned close to the sports centre when he was very young. He was very shy and would not come close. I would see him every day when taking Lulu and Sammy to the park for exercise. Even when I took food for him I had to put it down and leave it and he would eat it after we left. After about a week of this, I cut some cubes of bread and sat on a bench near the rubbish bins he patrolled. I threw him some pieces which he ate I and continued dropping pieces closer and closer until he was at arm's length. Then I held a piece in the palm of my hand. He came closer, sat in front of me, ate the bread and then put his head in my lap and looked up at me. That was it! We had three!

Río was also in poor condition. He had lost some of his coat and had bald patches and he was terribly thin, but the worst things were his feet. They were flattened and bleeding and he had lost most of his nails. Those that were left were hanging loose. He had trouble walking. The vet did tests and he had a severe fungal infection which took a month of medication to fix but after that he was fine and his coat had returned to normal, he is always super-shiny. He is a big baby even though he is now an estimated four years old and weighs 32 kilos (65lbs). My pal!

Charlie is about 12 months old and he copies everything Río does. Lulu mothers him. He was sleeping rough in the village square having been thrown out of a local bar. We have had him for about 6 months now and he has been a real trial, probably the reason for his abandonment: chewing things and not at all house-trained. We have persevered and he is much better now; the most difficult dog I have ever house-trained. But he is so cute one can forgive him everything! Oh and we learned his previous name: APOLLO! 😅

They were abandoned in or around our village (exce... (show quote)

What wonderful dog images - all of them - the portrait and the action shots. I can't look at the objectively because Rio looks so much like our Toby, who died last fall after 13 years of fun and games. He is a beautiful dog and you've created some wonderful images of him.

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

minniev wrote:

What wonderful dog images - all of them - the portrait and the action shots. I can't look at the objectively because Rio looks so much like our Toby, who died last fall after 13 years of fun and games. He is a beautiful dog and you've created some wonderful images of him.

Thank you minniev. I am so sorry for your loss.

Uuglypher Loc: South Dakota (East River)

rafikiphoto wrote:

They were abandoned in or around our village (except for Sammy - read on).

Lulu was severely dehydrated, full of fleas and ticks and had Demodex mange. Added to that she had aborted but later she was found to still be carrying one puppy. She was unable to deliver so she needed a caesarian section. Unfortunately, the pup died an hour later. We estimate Lulu is about 8 years old now. She has the most wonderful temperament. The queen of our household. She is so gentle. We love her to bits!

Sammy is not a fan of water but somehow he was in the river for a short while that day and, in this picture determined not to go in again!

We have had Sammy for about 6 years, he came to us shortly after we took Lulu in. In truth Sammy adopted us; he was a street dog and just tagged along with us one afternoon when my wife and I were walking home. He just skipped along with us. When we reached our front door he trotted in without being asked and went to say hello to Lulu then went into the kitchen to find the water bowl. We tossed him out after an hour or so of playing with Lulu because he seemed quite well looked after and we presumed he had a permanent home. After a couple of hours, he was back, sitting in the front hall (in Spain our front door is always open). We let him come in and Lulu was being fed so he ate too. That night we tossed him out again and the next morning he was in the front hall again. This went on for a couple of days.

My wife took his picture and showed it around to friends in the village and found where he 'lived'. She spoke to the Spanish guy and he said that yes, 'Chico', does stay with them but not always and if Chico was happy with us to keep him because his wife was tired of all the white hair in the house! So we kept him but we were already calling him Sammy. We had him wormed vaccinated, chipped and castrated and he settled in well.

A week or so later we were walking Sammy and Lulu in the village and suddenly a little boy ran up to 'Sammy/Chico' and said "Ah, mi Curro'!!! Sammy obviously knew him. The boy's mother came over and told us that Chico/Curro/Sammy does stay with them now and again and they feed him but they can't keep him because they are tenants and not allowed to keep pets so if we are OK with it, we should keep him and the boy will see him when we are walking. So Sammy was ours! We are not aware of any other pied a terre he might have had!

Of the canine pack Sammy is el jefe - the boss, even Río will not cross him. There was an anxious time when Charlie arrived because Charlie is a strong character too and there were fights but they now have mutual respect for each other and Sammy is still el jefe - just!

Río, my friend, was abandoned close to the sports centre when he was very young. He was very shy and would not come close. I would see him every day when taking Lulu and Sammy to the park for exercise. Even when I took food for him I had to put it down and leave it and he would eat it after we left. After about a week of this, I cut some cubes of bread and sat on a bench near the rubbish bins he patrolled. I threw him some pieces which he ate I and continued dropping pieces closer and closer until he was at arm's length. Then I held a piece in the palm of my hand. He came closer, sat in front of me, ate the bread and then put his head in my lap and looked up at me. That was it! We had three!

Río was also in poor condition. He had lost some of his coat and had bald patches and he was terribly thin, but the worst things were his feet. They were flattened and bleeding and he had lost most of his nails. Those that were left were hanging loose. He had trouble walking. The vet did tests and he had a severe fungal infection which took a month of medication to fix but after that he was fine and his coat had returned to normal, he is always super-shiny. He is a big baby even though he is now an estimated four years old and weighs 32 kilos (65lbs). My pal!

Charlie is about 12 months old and he copies everything Río does. Lulu mothers him. He was sleeping rough in the village square having been thrown out of a local bar. We have had him for about 6 months now and he has been a real trial, probably the reason for his abandonment: chewing things and not at all house-trained. We have persevered and he is much better now; the most difficult dog I have ever house-trained. But he is so cute one can forgive him everything! Oh and we learned his previous name: APOLLO! 😅

They were abandoned in or around our village (exce... (show quote)

Brian,
Your portraits of your "...four children..." and the backstories of each absolutely warm the heart of this retired veterinarian. Your photo essay brings to mind so many similar ."rescues" who decided to accept our offers of family membership over the past 60+ years and returned the favor by accepting us without reservation, but each in its own, unique way...and each, in turn, has intuitively helped raise our children, and grand children, and great grandchildren.

We've never met, but I do know who you are.

beautiful stories, beautiful portraits.

Dave

rafikiphoto Loc: Spain

Uuglypher wrote:

Brian, br Your portraits of your "...four chi... (show quote)

Thank you, Dave. I am touched. Excuse the lump in my throat.