Danny Zuko American Staffordshire Terrier Mix Memphis, TN

For the most up-to-date info and pictures, check out #sdfDannyZuko or streetdogfoundation.com/pup-profiles/dannyzuko!

Last Weigh-in: 78.4 lbs

Update on our newbies from Founder Melanie Pafford: Danny and sandy are still learning about human love. They had little to no human interaction for their 3 1/2 years. They are taking Burgies gently from us. Slowly but surely is how this is going! Coming to Grace Animal Hospital with hot Burgies is definitely the way to win friends here. Sitting and reading to them. Leaving a t-shirt you slept in with them. It will be a while before they can be leash walked. They are so hesitant about everything right now. But time and love will make all of the difference!

------------------------------------------------------
Danny Zuko’s Story
My mate and I have been on the streets for 3 1/2 years. No one knows if we were ever around with people before... but we have seen people and tried to find food where they were. We have had to scavenge for what little was available for so long and just wanted to get somewhere dry and safe. We found an old Quonset hut that was very dark and seemed safe for the moment...until we got spooked, ran, and fell into a deep pit. The bottom of the pit was wet and rock hard when we hit, and we stayed so scared and very sore. We didn’t know what had happened, but we knew we were in a very bad place.

We tried and tried and tried to find a way out of this terrifying hole, but there was no way out for us. It was just too deep. We didn’t know how we were going to survive. Our panic was so high, and we were frantic with the fear of how we could live! After crawling around and pacing and searching for just one toehold...one ledge....we settled into the knowledge that we were trapped here. Time passed, and we grew thirsty and hungry. There was nothing down there but the wet chemical smell of machine sludge. We waited. All we could do was hope. We could not tell the passing of days or nights...but our exhausted bodies grew weaker, and our hope grew dim. We had to have something inside us, or we would die. So we started licking the wet vile tasting dampness from the floor. It made us sick...but it was all we had.

We knew that there was little hope, but we were trying so hard not to give in to our desperate situation. We had survived on our own for this long...surely this dark hole was not to be our end? But it seemed that was the case. Starved, dehydrated, and so sick from what we ingested...we were barely able to lift our heads now. We curled around each other and sadly awaited our fate. In a hazy blur...we heard the sound of a door opening ...footsteps..and voices. A faint pin light was shining back and forth, sometimes passing over our dungeon. Finally, the voices and light came closer. So close that the light blinded us. We both closed our eyes and pressed together as tight as we could. The voices were frantic for a minute, and we stayed still..., and then the steps and light faded away, and the door closed. When we heard no more sounds for a while, we realized that our chances were gone.

We got up and tried to feel our way around and see if anything had changed...if we could get out.... but no. Same prison. So discouraged, we lay back down and stayed wrapped around each other. We hoped that we wouldn’t have to suffer long. Life is hard for a pup without a home...and we were resigned and sad...but we had no choice. We lay down for what we thought was our last time. Later....through a haze of sickness..we heard the door open again and saw another sweeping of light. What would happen this time? We were too weak to do anything to protect ourselves. We just stayed wrapped together. Maybe the strange noise and light would just go away again and leave us in peace. We couldn’t take any more pain. Suddenly a blast of white light filled a corner of our pit. The voices were back, and this time I heard some of them speak softly and sweetly. They were telling us that everything would be okay and to trust us. One of the original voices said he thought there was only one dog because of how close we were pressed to each other. Was this group of voices and shadows coming to help us or harm us? We just didn’t know. A kind man crawled down a metal contraption to where we were and just spoke to us for a while. Another voice sang softly to us. They sounded so gentle. But we had only been chased by humans and kept to ourselves for much of our lives.

We didn’t know what to do. It didn’t matter. We were too weak to do anything. The kind man gently put a soft towel around my partner and me and lifted us each over his head and to his own partner. She took us in her arms and told us that we were safe and that we would no longer be hungry or thirsty or cold and hopeless anymore. These words sounded so sweet to us! We had never heard such a promise of love...but we were ready to find out what that meant!

They took us to a building called Grace Animal Hospital, and more sweet voices welcomed us with open arms. We were so so tired but so glad that we were out of that awful dark place. We were still terrified of everything, but after a long session of bathing...they got most of the oil off of us and gave us meds for our sickness. They gave us each a warm bed, clean water, and good food. We are now resting and getting well. Our starvation is still evident, and the nice people are giving many meals a day to help with that. The people who got us out of the pit come every day and talk with us and sing to us and have started to stroke our fur. This is something we haven’t done before. So it is kind of scary… but it also feels really good. Each of us has a soft and safe friend whom they call Orange Puppy. We each agree that though he doesn’t talk, he will listen to our worries and let us lay our heads on his shoulders. We trust him most of all right now. We are learning to trust the people with the sweet voices too. We are realizing what love is all about. And we are not so afraid of what happens next anymore.

We are now Streetdogs. Not street dogs. But real official Streetdog Foundation Streetdogs. From here on out, we will always be safe and loved. We cannot wait to find out what our life will be like from now on!

*Must live in the Greater Memphis area to adopt.

*Behaviors not listed have yet to be tested.