Charlie's Chow, Inc.

As long as I can remember, I’ve had a fondness for animals. We moved around quite a bit so my parents thought a cat would be the best pet for me. When I moved out on my own, I took the cat that I had (since 7 years old!) and added more cats as the years went by.

The time came to buy a house, and once that happened my first thought was, “It’s time to get a dog!” Not having had dogs or puppies before, I thought it would be best to start with an adult dog. And along came Charlie.

PCC Rock Creek adopts out 10 dogs at the end of every school year. Due to my timing, I ended up there when they had only one dog left. Nobody wanted him because he had severe hip dysplasia and would most likely require hip replacement surgery in a few years. I remember looking into his eyes and seeing a true friend. I didn’t care what surgery he would need, I needed Charlie. PCC had no history for him for before they got him and guessed his age at 4 or 5 years, neutered him and sent him home with me.

A trip to the vet for x-rays a few months later revealed that Charlie had shot gun pellets scattered through his rib cage. He also had a large area on his rear left hip the vet described as “road rash” and several broken teeth. What had this sweet guy been through? The good news was that he didn’t need surgery, at least not yet. The bad news, the vet wanted him on meds, special no corn kibble and supplements.

Charlie was a fussy eater! I never thought a dog could be so fussy! He would bury his dish of kibble and only eat the canned dog food if I coaxed him. It seemed like he was constantly licking at his toes and legs. So much so he was developing soars. So, I started asking around and discovered Columbia River Natural Pet Foods. What a difference! Charlie gobbled up his meals, his energy improved, he stopped the constant licking and the soars healed up. A few weeks later and the meds and supplements weren’t necessary. A few weeks after that his teeth looked as though I had them cleaned. He was happy, comfortable and enjoyed life. Finally.

Several happy years went by and then the discomfort set in. I could tell his hips were bothering him. By now, he was too old for surgery to be helpful. I added back in the meds and he was comfortable for another year.

Charlie lived his last summer laying in the sun and watching the kids. When the weather got too cold for him, we said goodbye. Goodbye to the best dog ever.

Charlie taught me so much. The most important lesson is that nature is best. Thanks to Charlie, our other dogs, and future dogs, will always be feed as nature intended.