Winston is a bug Pug with a big bowling ball head which surprisingly doesn't make him tip over forwards because if I my head were a bowling ball that's what I'd be doing all the time.
I suppose drinking lots of whiskey would do the same thing - not that I'd know - but at least with a bowling ball head, one would have a plausible excuse for being tipsy.
"Oops, sorry for knocking you over, miss, but I've got a bowling ball head you see," one could say when knocking someone over at a party and what an introduction that would be.
Winston needs no such ploys to introduce himself. He is a wheezing, snorting, garumphing li'l feller which is cute and very attention grabbing and all but I know if he were sleeping anywhere near me, I'd need one of those noise canceling headphones, preferably one of the newer models because I hear some of the older versions couldn't cancel out a fart from an ant. Stenotic nares is unfortunately not Winston's only problem. He's also got some neural disorder - maybe genetic, maybe from an accident, maybe from living in a cage for too long - which makes him walk funny and thus he drags his feet until the tops of them are bloody. He may also have a chronic cherry eye problem.
Winston came from a puppy mill. Puppy millers are such assholes. Really, they are the sphincters of the dog breeding world. Mr. and Mrs. Sphincter - proudly combining the stink of filthy lucre with the stink of animal abuse. How lovely. Sphincter Family Farms here to serve the Kijiji dog buying public with five hundred plus neglected dogs crying and dying in cages but, hell, no one will ever know, just wash the sickly thing in the sink before the customer shows up, tie a ribbon round its head and, snap, that's a thousand bucks in the bank and then don't forget to give the buyer that "official" certificate the Sphincters' talented progeny banged out on his computer last night between cruising on Facebook for naked pictures of his classmates and porn surfing.
It's unlikely Winston would've made it into general adoption with his health issues. That would've sucked because despite it all, despite all his ailments and worries and ongoing concerns, Winston is a stupendously adorable pooch. His personality is big and wonderful and he's a pro when it comes to getting human affection. Just ask one of TAS' brilliant volunteers. She's offered to foster Winston to try to figure out how to deal with all his various ailments.
Winston's only been with her for a couple of days now but I hear her boyfriend is already in lurve with the bug Pug. She's promising pictures soon.
Thank goodness for the saints who balance out the assholes.
Oh, goodness, and here's me thinking my Lola Pug needs a brother....
Love that last photo! As you said about Cini, "It's no wonder we fall for these brave, strong creatures who don't let even broken bones dampen their spirit as long as they have our company." Whatever his problems, he looks like a little guy who is ready to love the first person who gives him a smile.
Love your comment about puppy millers as "sphincters of the dog breeding world". Winston is now in good hands.
Hi Fred - Winston is adorable! Just wanted to let you know they make custom booties for dogs with his neurological problem. The booties make them hold the foot properly. The problem is they are custom made from a mold of the foot so they can be $$. We had one made for our dog that had the same problem (her neuro problem miraculously went away and she no longer needs it) They could also look at just regular doggy weather boots or plastic braces - anything that holds the foot in the proper position. We made a lot of our own prototypes...
Winston is going to be fitted for some of those custom booties tomorrow I hear.
Hooray! We will need a new photo shoot with the booties!
Oooh - Lola's half-sister, Nelly, has a very similar (if not identical) situation. Where do the booties come from?
RebTee, I think someone mentioned Canine Wellness Centre but I'm not positive. If I hear anything more, I'll comment again here to let you know.