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He was a mix of American Bulldog and terrier. I adopted him in April 2004 from our local Humane Society. By then he had been in 2 homes and 2 foster homes. He was only 7-8 months old.

Charlene G.

Powder owed his life to a kind woman who contacted the Humane Society president as she was transporting him to the place where he was to be put down. He was surrendered by his original family, taken in by a neighbor of theirs, and then surrendered by her because he kept jumping the fence in her yard trying to return to his first family.

The sad fact is he was adopted twice, and abandoned twice. His life would have ended because no one wanted him. After being saved from death he went on to live in 2 foster homes.

His picture was in the paper as "Pet of The Week". I saw that face and something tugged at my heart.

Powder had some separation anxiety at first. I came home one night to find he'd broken out of his confined area and wreaked havoc – blinds torn down, VCR tapes destroyed, a big hole in the bottom skirting of my sofa.

I called the Humane Society president and told her to come get him... I couldn't deal with destructiveness and was surrendering him.

She came over, calmed me down, and suggested confining him to a crate when I wasn't home. That crate and her calm reassurance saved my relationship with my dog and I'll be grateful to her forever. Whenever I think that I almost gave up on him, it cuts to my heart like a knife.

PHOTO: PEXELS

My Powder was with me for 9 wonderful years... my joy, companion and best friend. All of us who have pets know we will eventually be faced with having to let go and we are never prepared for that moment. I lost him on Mother's Day of this year, due to liver failure.

Run free at the Rainbow Bridge, my sweet Powder. I will hold you in my heart for as long as I live.

Story submitted by Charlene G. of New Bern, North Carolina.

Powder's story was originally shared on theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com. Share your very own rescue story here!