Tiny Tim’s Triumph

By Devon Krusko, RedRover Field Services and Outreach Coordinator

When I traveled to the Humane Society of Marlboro County last November, I was thrilled to find a pet-friendly Airbnb with a fenced yard. I was staying for three nights, which meant I could give a dog (or two… or three!) a break from the shelter setting while working on some training and in-home manners. 

The shelter staff quickly identified Tiny Tim – a short, stubby-legged boy made for cuddling – as the pup most in need. He had been there the longest and was showing increased kennel stress despite the staff’s best efforts for enrichment. 

Tiny Tim was beyond thrilled to join me on a sleepover. He bounced from his kennel to my rental car with a skipping stride. After a failed attempt to ride in my lap he eventually settled in the front seat, muzzle pressed against the window in anticipation. 

I quickly fell for Tiny Tim’s hilarious and full-of-life personality. He spent hours scuffling with a new stuffed toy and tossing it in the air, ran endless zoomies around the yard, and devoured a delicious peanut butter Kong. There, at the Airbnb, Tiny Tim could truly relax. 

Found abandoned and forgotten on a chain, with no food or water, it would appear that Tiny Tim’s previous life didn’t afford him the love and comfort he so desired. Had the landowner not walked the property that day, perhaps Tiny Tim’s fate would have been drastically different. 

Tiny Tim and I headed back to the shelter in the morning, both of us knowing that he would return to the Airbnb for night number two. Coincidentally, that same day, I assisted the HSMC with the removal of six dogs on chains at an abandoned property that animal control had been alerted to – and this is where Tiny Tim’s next chapter begins. 

Here Tiny Tim was introduced to Anthony, a honey-colored good boy and one of the dogs rescued from life on a chain by animal control. The two have a similar background, and quickly became playgroup buddies. Because there is a lack of adoption interest in the area, the duo was networked with the HSMC transport partners and they both scored a spot on the van to Common Sense for Animals in New Jersey! Not only did Tiny Tim quickly match with a home of his own, but his new people decided to adopt Anthony as well!

There’s nothing like a fairytale ending for a dog that I’ve connected with. Tiny Tim now has a wonderful home which he very much deserved – good boy, Tiny Tim, good boy!