Forsyth Humane Society is fortunate to have community members willing to take in strays and bring them to us so we can help them on their way to returning home or finding a new one. And, we are also very fortunate for every community member who adopts or fosters from us. In David Ashe (co-founder of Fiddlin’ Fish) FHS was fortunate to have both.
David was kind enough to tell us the story about how he met Marco, and helped him when he was out on the street.
It was an unlikely scenario. I had two bartenders out sick, and I was covering a Monday bar shift by myself – not a common occurrence, by any stretch of the imagination. It was a mild day for July, and we had quite a few groups sitting outside, enjoying the beautiful weather. Among them were a couple of ladies, who threw me a bit of a curveball when they closed their tabs. “We have to go, but there’s a little dog who wandered up to us a while ago who has been sitting with us. We thought you ought to know about him.”
What am I supposed to do with this stray dog … I’ve never found a stray animal before.
My first thought was “What am I supposed to do with this stray dog? I’m bartending solo and I’ve never found a stray animal before.” I went outside to where they were sitting and found a scared, malnourished long-legged black chihuahua sitting in the lap of one of the ladies. He was obviously scared, but ready for someone to help him out.
He did not look as though he had been fed regularly in quite a while, so I took him to the brewery’s production facility, where my business partner’s dog had food and water bowls. I filled the bowls, but he was skittish about approaching them. I put a few pieces of kibble on the floor and quickly headed back behind the bar that I had left untended. I checked on him regularly for the next hour until my wife could come help me out. Each time I went back, he had eaten a bit more of the food, but I had to go searching through the brewery for him. Eventually, I started calling out “Marco!” though I never got a “Polo” in response.
We decided that our best move was to get him to Forsyth Humane Society.
There were pretty clear signs that this little guy had been someone’s pet before he found his way to Trade Street. We decided that our best move was to get him to Forsyth Humane Society. We wanted to be sure that he got a medical check-up and could be checked for an ID chip, in case someone was looking for him. In our short time with him at the brewery, he had quickly decided we were going to be friends, so we asked FHS to please let us know if he went up for adoption. We wanted to be sure that he ended up in a good home.
After about a week, we called Forsyth Humane Society to check on him. They said that no one had claimed him and that he would be put up for adoption. As soon as “Chico Bean” (his shelter name) hit the adoption page on the website, we quickly applied to adopt him. When we went to pick him up, it was obvious that he remembered us, acting very comfortable with both of us right away. We didn’t have to think long about what to name him. “Marco” seemed to suit him well and would always remind us of when he came to find us.
After a few days, he started putting on some of the weight he had lost, and his real personality started to emerge. He’s just under 10 pounds now that he’s back to his healthy weight, but he is convinced that he is perhaps the biggest dog that has ever existed. He’s sweet, loves to sit in laps and be carried around, sleeps under the covers at the foot of the bed all night (and won’t be convinced to do otherwise), and defends our home diligently against Amazon delivery drivers. A very expressive little dog, Marco surely packs more personality per pound than any dog I have met before.
We are so grateful to Forsyth Humane Society for caring for him and so fortunate to have Marco in our lives.
It’s hard to imagine our lives without Marco now. It’s been two years since he came to find us at the brewery, but it feels as if he’s been with us forever. We are so grateful to Forsyth Humane Society for caring for him and so fortunate to have Marco in our lives.
