Introducing Shaggy Chunko!!

Shaggy Chunko!

A couple months ago, we adopted a new dog! If you follow me on Instagram, I'm sure you're already up to date on #shaggychunko - but I thought this newest family member deserved a post all of his own here on the blog.

We got Mr. Chunko just about a month after Stevie died... and honestly we weren't really planning on another dog. We thought we would let our whole pack move to the Great Beyond and then we would have time for travel and global adventures. Then Covid came along and it was immediately clear that we wouldn't be traveling anywhere for quite some time. 

Buddies

Also, our little old Snoopy was SO sad and SO lost without Stevie and Dottie. He is 17, and has quite a bit of dementia. His disposition is still 100% joy, but he can quickly become disoriented and not know what's going on or where he is. He really relied on Stevie and Dottie and orbited around them. We knew that, but it was extra sad to see him on his own. 

The first few days after Shaggy Chunks came home were a little unsteady, but now these two are always next to one another - it's SO sweet and Snoopy is so much happier.  Shaggy Chunko is a born snuggler and insists on being near Snoopy. It's so adorable.

Every single Morning

We got Chunko from a listing on Nextdoor. For the last 18 months or so, he had belonged to an elderly couple with a lot of medical problems, and they had both recently passed away (within 10 days of one another). Their daughter was looking for a home for Shaggy. We met them at the park - with face masks and proper social distancing of course! - and lo and behold, we came home with a new dog! From the picture online, I thought Shaggy Chunko was going to be bit bigger and more athletic... but no. He is actually shorter than Snoopy (whose new nickname is Silky Svelte-o), and built like a little tank, and is extremely UNathletic! ha ha. When he "runs" his whole body weeble-wobbles around. Mr. VE&T pretty much took one look at this silly little guy and fell in love. 

We've learned some things about Shaggy Chunko:

- he is EXTREMELY snuggly and is particularly obsessed with me.

- he is 10 years old, not 7 years old

- he really hadn't been walked at all and was very overweight and totally out of shape

- he's really smart, but totally untrained

- we are at least his fourth home in his life... he came from the central valley, where he had already been adopted once, then was brought to the shelter here, where he was adopted from the people before us

- he had to have a big dental surgery and get 3 teeth out and 2 root canals. Poor guy - but he is a lot happier now

- we also learned that he had been de-barked (so barbaric!) somewhere along the line, and that he has scarring in his airway. This may require follow-up at some point. 

he is shaped like a cylindrical little pig, but has a pointy little snout.

Unfortunately our little Mr. Chunko recently injured his knee on a very low-intensity dog walk, and it isn't getting better quickly. We're still waiting to find out if he needs surgery. Oh dear. We were hoping for a break from high-maintenance pet ownership after shepherding Stevie and Dottie through their end-of-life experiences.  But, of course, Mr. Chunks will get whatever he needs. Most of all we want him to be healthy and happy as soon as possible. 

Straight up Chillin'

Shaggy Chunko is dozing on my lap as I type up this post. He is SUCH a sweet little being. Gentle and pensive... but with a dose of terrier SPUNK that is still emerging. I think the situation he came from before us was not ideal, and after about 2 months with us, he is still unwinding into this new environment. After having all our other pets for SO many years and knowing them each so deeply and intimately, Shaggy Chunko still feels like someone we are getting to know. I can't wait!