Meet Gandolf!

Last month, after having lost 4 chickens to either a fox and/or raccoon, Shannon got fed up with me coming in with a long face, near tears.  I would report another loss, and feel helpless.  I would put them up in the barn, to have them either snatched from their roosts, or in broad daylight.  Shannon's suggestion was to get a livestock guardian dog, and so the search began.  I saw an ad on FB for a Great Pyrenese that was for sale.  I emailed the lady and we went to look at this guy...

 The above picture was the picture on the ad...When we saw him, he was in a little kennel with 2 goats.  He was so shy, skittish and frightened.  Not to mention underweight.  SO, we loaded him up and took him home.  We left him in the barn for several days, walking him around the fence lines, and we quickly fell in love.  He was very protective of his barn, and the chickens.  Once I felt he was secure enough with his boundaries, I let him off the leash, and he roamed, sniffed and quickly crawled underneath our fence!  Geesh!  He always came back, so I didn't worry too much.  I did notice him crossing our busy road, but he would come right back.  I ordered a shock collar to teach him his boundaries, but in the waiting, he was hit by a car.  I came home a week after getting him, and found him like this...

 In the barn, beat up pretty badly, and unable to stand up.  I called our trusty friend and vet, Frances, and she told me it wasn't an emergency and to wait until the morning to take him in to the vet.  The following morning, Shannon and I loaded him up into the truck, and I dropped him off into the loving care of the Wytheville Community Clinic, where our other friend, Kay, is the vet.  She did x-rays and called me to tell me he had dislocated his hip and had to be put under anesthesia.  We decided to go ahead and have him neutered while there. 

 The next day, I picked up our sweet boy, and put him in the Prius.  He was so happy to come home, but I could tell he was in pain.  I got him home, put him in his stall, and he immediately relaxed.  It was like he knew he was home. 

His tail started to wag, and all was well in Gandolf's world.  He was confined for 10 days in his stall, but now he's good as new!

"Thank you, Kay, for fixing my leg and making me less of a man!!!"