Bandit
Bandit Bounces Back
Animal rescuer Richelle Blue first spotted Bandit during a scheduled visit to her local auto repair shop, where the owner of the garage kept him tied to a four-foot chain. "His head hung low and there was no life in his eyes," Richelle tells us. "This was a dog who had simply given up."
Richelle also noticed that Bandit had no food, water or shelter, and attempted to report his condition to the local authorities. "There is no SPCA or animal control in this rural part of Iowa," she explains. "So I knew I had to find a way to help Bandit myself."
That week, Richelle began spending time with Bandit. "He soon recognized the sound of my truck and would bound to the end of his chain, wiggling in anticipation."
Even Bandit's owner took notice of the change in his dog. "He saw my interest in Bandit and told me I could take him, that he was happy to be rid of him," says Richelle. "And I couldn't have been happier to get him out of there!"
After feeding Bandit a hearty meal at home, Richelle set to work bathing the dirt-encrusted pooch. "It took hours to wash and brush out his long fur," she says, "but in the end he was just so handsome." It seems like Bandit thought so, too. "When the grooming process was over, he began to prance around in circles!"
Over the next few weeks, Richelle taught Bandit all the important lessons a good dog should know—how to sit, stay and relieve himself outside. In no time, Bandit blossomed into a happy and well-adjusted companion, and Richelle began looking for a suitable family for him. "Saying goodbye to a rescued animal is always heartbreaking," explains Richelle. "But finding a loving home truly makes it all worthwhile."
Regular updates and photos from Bandit's new family confirm that he is one loved and very spoiled pooch! As Richelle tells us, "Bandit will always be an inspiration for rescuing other animals in need and a reminder as to why I do this work."