How Facebook Saved a Special Dog Named Nico

By Julia Williams

I love Facebook. As a writer who works from home, my days are solitary by design. Facebook allows me to instantly connect with others across the globe, which helps me to feel not quite so alone as I type away. No matter what time it is when I take my “Facebook break,” there’s always something interesting to read.

Recently, I learned about a deaf dog named Nico, and his story is so touching that I wanted to share it with you. Nico’s story is about many different things – rescue, redemption, Facebook, the kindness of strangers, and above all, why we should never “judge a book by its cover.”

Nico is a white Dogo Argentino, a rare breed from South America said to be loyal, playful, athletic, affectionate and intelligent. Not much is known about the first years of Nico’s life, but he ended up in the South Los Angeles animal shelter, which is where his heartfelt tale begins. Nico’s malnourished body was covered in fleas and riddled with sores, cuts, bruises and scars. Nico had a large tumor on his back, his teeth were chiseled and his ears appeared to have been cropped with kitchen shears. The shelter described Nico as a biter and dangerously aggressive. Who in their right mind would adopt this poor, sad mess of a dog?

The Photo That Saved Nico’s Life

The shelter would almost certainly have been where Nico’s life story ended, were it not for one incredible photograph that evoked Nico’s pain in a way that mere words cannot begin to describe. The candid photo, taken by Nikki Audet of local rescue group Mutt Scouts, showed Nico leaning against the kennel wall, his head bowed and his face clearly conveying grief, loneliness and defeat.

In an effort to help save Nico, Nikki posted the photo on Facebook in July of 2009, where it quickly went viral and was shared by legions of animal lovers. One of the many who were deeply affected by Nico’s picture was Kelly Gibson of San Diego. Kelly operates a small rescue from her home, Puggles and Pitties, which rehomes dogs or transports them to other rescue facilities that can adopt them out.

“So much emotion was conveyed in that picture,” said Kelly. “He looked so defeated and had totally given up on life.” Kelly traveled to L.A. intending to adopt Nico so he could be euthanized with dignity, but when she looked into his eyes she knew instantly that the shelter was wrong about him. Nico gently took her cookies and gave her soft kisses in return, and Kelly decided then that Nico deserved a second chance at life.

Kelly took Nico out of the shelter and placed him in veterinary care while she devised a plan to find him a forever home. Nikki created a fundable page on Facebook for Nico and raised nearly $2,000 in 48 hours from kind strangers who were moved by Nico’s plight. Kelly had previously worked with a director at the Humane Society for Hamilton County in Noblesville, Indiana and together, they coordinated a cross-country road trip. It took several weeks and 45 different people to transport Nico from California to Indiana. Once there, he began training and rehabilitation so he could be adopted.

Nico Gets a New “Leash” on Life

In November of 2009, Nico the hard-luck dog was adopted by Bridget Swan and Melissa Garris, and his fortune changed considerably. The sweet dog loves to snuggle, and enjoys balls, baths, being a couch potato, and playing with his sister Brisby, a pit bull mix who is also deaf. Bridget describes Nico as a “majestic, adorable, gentle and loving companion.”

Deena Hitchens Crouch, a board member with the Humane Society for Hamilton County, agrees. “After meeting Nico, people couldn't believe how gentle and sweet he was, especially after what he had experienced.” Despite being mistreated and physically scarred for life, Bridget said Nico has “forgiven man for everything that has happened to him.”

Nico’s story is a testament to the amazing ability of animals to forgive. Nico is also an inspiration to many, who see him as a shining example of why potential adopters need to look beyond the exterior when searching for the perfect pet. Instead of passing by that rough-around-the-edges dog, look into his eyes where his true nature will be revealed. Nico was lucky that Kelly could see past his unseemly appearance. Now, the dejected dog captured so eloquently in Nikki Audet’s photo is a handsome, proud boy who loves life, humans, other dogs and even cats.

If you’d like to know more about Nico, you can ask to be his friend on Facebook (he has nearly 1600 friends now!) where he writes regularly about his wonderful new life. Bridget and Melissa have also made a lovely YouTube video of Nico’s story, which you can watch here.

Top photo by Deena Crouch
Bottom photo by Nikki Audet

Read more articles by Julia Williams

Meet Scout, an Avalanche Rescue Dog Sponsored by CANIDAE

By Suzanne Alicie

The CANIDAE dog sponsorship program began in 2006 as a way to support extraordinary dogs and the people who love them. Among the many canines chosen for sponsorship are teams who participate in dog sports, therapy dogs, K-9 units, assistance dogs and rescue dogs. These dogs are all fed CANIDAE products to provide them with the energy, strength and nutrition required for their demanding jobs.

One of these CANIDAE-sponsored special achievers is Scout, a Chocolate Labrador retriever who works for Copper Mountain as a Certified Avalanche Rescue Dog. His handler, Rich Silkey CMSP, took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for me about Scout and the job they do together at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado. What an eye opener it was to learn about this dog and his amazing job.

Rich is not just Scout’s handler, he is his owner. Many places have rescue dogs that are owned by a resort or company and live on site. Scout, however, is a hard working dog that gets to go home at night. Socializing is a big part of Scout’s job. On a typical day, which means a day that an avalanche doesn’t occur, Scout enjoys riding up to the duty station on the chair lift, sleeping in the duty station, patrolling with Rich and interacting with the guests. But don’t assume he’s a lazy dog sleeping the day away. The playful and friendly Scout gets a lot of exercise playing with the kids from ski school when he’s not busy. Sounds like a tough job huh?

Well, when an avalanche happens Scout is all business. He began his training at 8 weeks old. Now at almost 4 years old Scout is a certified and professional avalanche rescue dog who knows when it is time to stop playing and start working. Labradors aren’t the only breed suitable for avalanche rescue. Copper Mountain utilizes 6 avalanche rescue dogs that rotate through each week, including Border Collies, Australian Shepherds and German Shepherds. However, Rich selected a Labrador to train as an avalanche rescue dog and as a pet because of the breed’s agility, work ethic, stamina, loyalty and excellent nose.

Unlike dogs who trail or track a specific person or scent, avalanche rescue dogs are trained to air scent for humans, in and under the snow. Victims buried in the snow as a result of an avalanche are just one type of snow rescue. Youth and elderly that have fallen due to injury or hypothermia can become covered by snowfall. Even a healthy well-prepared hiker or skier who holes up in a snow cave after having become lost or exhausted is another type of rescue for an avalanche rescue dog. Because once a person becomes buried, detection by the naked eye is impossible.

These awe inspiring rescue dogs can detect the human scent more than 15 feet deep. Dogs can cover the dangerous terrain of an avalanche area approximately 8 times faster than a human. This means that Scout is usually the first on the scene and helps make sure that people get rescued in time thanks to his wonderful nose and excellent training.

According to Mr. Silkey, Scout performs his task of air scenting to locate a buried person and does an aggressive double paw dig as an alert. But he doesn’t stop there; Scout continues digging and sometimes has the avalanche victim dug out before his human backup arrives. For performing his job so well, Scout gets to enjoy a good game of tug-of-war with his favorite toy.

To make sure that Scout and the other dogs stay on task and don’t forget valuable training, the crew does a mock search once a week to help them stay sharp and practice their skills. Helping teach and lead younger dogs like the two new dogs that are just beginning their training also keeps Scout and the other avalanche rescue dogs at Copper Mountain on top of their game.

Due to the rigors of their job, the cold and unyielding snow and the pressures of the searches, avalanche rescue dogs usually work until they are between 7 and 12 years of age. CANIDAE dog food helps provide the extra nutrition and energy these dogs need to stay healthy and happy from the beginning of their hard working lives through their retirement and lazy days.

The CANIDAE team is proud to sponsor Scout as he goes about the business of saving lives with his partner Rich in the cold and snow at Copper Mountain.

Read more articles by Suzanne Alicie