Once Upon A Time…

…there was a little puppy named ZEUS, who soon was to be crowned KING VON NUGGET
This is his story; from the backyard, to the shelter and finally in the arms of mommy Anneli.

Yep, that’s me, smiling away. Mommy had just wrestled another guy that tried to cut the line to see me durning the adoption event at the Animal Foundation. I was so happy she set him straight and that I got to act my cutest for her. I knew she wouldn’t be able to resist my little ears and pretty mug.

Mommy learnt that both my doggy birth parents had been killed by some nasty backyard breeder. And I, along with my seven siblings, were found in terrible living conditions and poor health. A kind samaritan found us and placed us at the shelter. That was the last time I saw my siblings. I hope they were as lucky as I was…

Mommy had just lost her soul dog, Angel, and she was devastated and heart broken. But she also knew deep down that another little soul could truly use a beautiful and loving place to call their forever home.

I remember the shelter staff handling me and one of them brought me outside and put me in mommy’s arms, it was love at first sight! Mommy had always rescued older dogs, but something drew her to me. And boy am I grateful for that.

My given shelter name was Zeus, but apparently mommy thought I looked more like a King. Though when she realized I wasn’t really going to be that big, She added Von Nugget. And that’s how I got my royal title. My first crown was a little big, but who am I to decline a royal title?!

After being neutered and having an umbilical hernia fixed, mommy picked me up and brought me home. But the bliss don’t last that long. I got very sick in less than 48 hours. We had to go to the vet, who diagnosed me with Coccidia and Giardia. Those are two VERY nasty parasites that are commonly spread through fecal matters, either ingested or present in water.  These were the living conditions I came from, a filthy and unsafe environment.

After two months of medication, I was cleared. But unfortunately it didn’t take long before another condition appeared. I was showing distressful neurological signs and the first vet put it down to “growing pains and to keep an eye on it”. Mommy wasn’t having it. She sought out another opinion and we were referred to a neurologist. I was diagnosed with meningitis after having an MRI, a CT Scan and a spinal tap. That was the start of a long treatment with steroids that lasted until I was 1 1/2 years old.

And along that road, I was treated for mange, eye and ear infection and also developed alopecia. My immune system still isn’t what it should be. But I am managing better now.

I still take medication occasionally for the neurological relapses. But mommy figured out how to only treat on the day of the symptoms and I sleep it off. Every day is a day for growth and learning. And every day is a blessing not to be taken for granted.

I was recently diagnosed with a heart murmur. It is not that serious yet, so I take it easy for the most part and sleep a lot. Mommy is a great nurse, I couldn’t have been saved by a better human.

I LOVE to travel with mommy, she has debilitating conditions and PTSD, so I help her. So far we have been to Mexico on a cruise, stayed at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas, chilled in Laughlin and in Mesquite. And I have also flown to New York City, New Orleans, Nashville and San Francisco, where we visited Alcatraz. Now that was scary, mommy couldn’t see what I was seeing. NOT going back!

Oh…and then there was that LONG trip to Sweden, the place where mommy comes from. Couldn’t understand what anyone was saying, and there was funny white stuff on the ground. But I loved the food!

And let’s not forget my first ever journey to Los Angeles, I was still a whee-little pup. Mommy got the tattoo on her spine then in honor of Angel.

I feel like life has just begun. The world is my oyster and I am the pearl!