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The story of Adonis, the dog who was supposed to die

It happened in April. There are 100,000 stray dogs wandering in San Antonio -- more
common than graffiti. But I'd never seen anything this bad.

He was stumbling down the street, covered in bloody sores with flem streaming down his eyes. It was a wonder that he was still alive, a dog made of ravaged fur, mange, abandoned who-knows-when. And yet -- something told me to feed him, to save him. That he would be alright.

I always carry dogfood in my car, and yes, he came to the bowl, a good sign. A man in a pickup truck stopped and helped me wrap a moving rope around his neck, and then I lifted him into the back of my van. He didn't resist. He was even more repulsive up close, yet it hurt me more to leave him behind, so I didn't.

Once I got him home, the neighbors gathered to talk about how crazy I am, watched me feed him more bathe him. I think they felt more sorry for me than the dog.

What was crazy was that I didn't have a cent at the time -- only blind faith that
I could get him to a veternarian and then the City's animal clinic here that does
low-cost sterilization and shots.

The other thing is that I live in a shotgun house in the barrio, a house that is about 650 sq ft, and I've already got seven cats from the neighborhood -- all sterilized with their shots. Can't afford to keep middle-sized dogs around for
too long, and my house is a rental, besides.

I named the dog Adonis, which means God of Love. It was the least I could do, and the only place I had for him was in the outdoor utility room,
where he stayed, and thrived for three days and nights until I remembered that I have a friend who had some antibiotic for dogs. Another friend gave me some medicine for his conjunctivitis. Of course this isn't the way it should be done...

Adonis got better every day. My friends told me he had the mange, and that it was probably curable. Sure enough, three weeks after I found him I took him to a vet who confirmed our diagnosis, gave me a discounted deal, along with the good news that Adonis didn't have heartworm! Adonis ended up having 6 weekly dips along with medications, sterilized, shots, microchipped. He's gone from 32 pounds to 52 pounds, and is now 11 months old.

I think he's an Akita/pit bull/shar-pei mix, and he's about 10 months old.
He loves playing loves, children and is very attached to one of my cats, Baby Kitty.

I can't keep him in my rental house forever. He deserves a family, and if you know someone, let me know. He's an excellent watchdog and good at walks.

His fur is now turning from off-black to brown-gray with blonde patches and streaks.

Please help me find a good home for Adonis. I know there is a little boy or girl out there who's been looking for him as much as he was seeking them that day in April.

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