Posted April 26, 1998

Krackel was one of the most pitiful little souls I'd seen in a very long time. Like many other Cockers, he had been picked up wandering the streets of Baltimore City. I'll note that we've rescued FIVE chocolate male American Cockers from this shelter just this year. We are wondering who the breeder of chocolate Cockers might be and why they are in such deplorable conditions. They all look like rastafarians when they get to the shelter, and they have to be shaved to the skin once in our care.

Under all that hair and filth and neglect was a little angel. His little tail never stopped wagging. He knew I was there to save him, and he never looked back. His adoptive mother can tell the rest of his story far better than I. Please read her recent letter.

This is one of our favorite pictures of Krackel, AKA "The Krack," which has come to be his best nickname. He is the WORLD'S SWEETEST DOG. We're afraid to let anyone near him because they fall in love. I had to check my mother's bags as she was leaving; she threatened to dognap him! He plays with the other animals like a puppy, much to the cat's chagrin.

We cannot thank you enough for saving this poor beast. His sweet face reveals his wonderful disposition. He will be going to obtain his Canine Good Citizen certificate so he can become a Certified Therapy Dog for Animal Assisted Therapy.

He loves everyone: kids, adults, other animals. He plays and chases my brother's two Rottweilers like they are cats. It is the nicest thing to watch. He has transformed from a slightly timid couch potato into an outgoing, funloving, terminal puppy. He is great in the house; total housetraining took about one and a half weeks, with very few problems. No crates and no confinement. He thoroughly enjoys his new life and shows us by spending the better part of the day on our bed pillows. We are so proud of him.

Sometimes I look at that face and start to cry, thinking that someone couldn't get past his having a bad hair day and having a little odor problem (ha ha). What a tragedy it would have been to lose this soul. He really is a GORGEOUS Cocker when he gets his 'do done. He goes from gorgeous to adorable as his hair grows, but he's always Mr. Loveable!

If anyone ever has any hesitation about adopting an older or adult dog, they should spend 30 minutes with this guy. I don't think we could have found a better dog if I had bought him as an eight-week-old puppy. I have always said that rescue dogs (or dogs that come from less than desirable situations) make the best pets because they know how good they have it!

Krackel's cataract looks like it is getting stabilized enough to remove, and then we can restore his vision, so he doesn't miss anything. What a great story to tell the folks in the nursing homes we plan to visit -- that the dog has had the same surgery many of them have had or are facing.

Many thanks.