Gustav ...

This year-old German Shepherd arrived at the Shelter with a large frame but no meat or muscle and very little hair; so debilitated that his hind legs tangled when he walked. A Shelter visitor drawn to the needy big-footed pup adopted and took him straight to the vet clinic, where Dr. Mayer dealt efficiently with mites, mange, damaged ears, necrotic skin and other miseries. 

At his new farm home in Paradise Bottom Gus was  medicated and shampooed repeatedly and fed frequent small meals, slowly working up to triple rations. He was transformed in a few months from a wobbly 58-lb. skeleton to 110 muscled lbs. with a luxuriant coat regrowth. Everything came back except his ears, which continue to flop in a quizzical-hound style.

Gustav today is in perfect health. He's intelligent, calm and mellow, anxious to please and altogether a delightful companion dog. Another rescue recently joined him, a female the same age but just half his size. Gus appears to regard Mandy as his personal wind-up toy. The Mutt & Jeff pair roughhouse and romp until they drop like stones to zonk out.

And now.