Secondhand Charlie Man “Charlie” Born: July 22, 2010
Owned and Loved by: Harriet Hickman
What is most interesting is how I was LED to adopting this extraordinary 3-year-old fawn bouvier! He had been left abandoned in an empty apartment, picked up by Animal Control, transferred to a larger space at the Humane Society because of being out-of-control, where he was subsequently identified as a Soft-coated Wheaton mix! I was on my way out of town regarding a Bouvier puppy when a friend who had known my other 2 Bouviers told me there was a dog, not identified as a bouvier but looked just like mine, at the local humane society. One look and I knew Charlie was no Wheaton but a Bouvier! So, before I had to leave town, I made contact to get “Charlie” into ABRL. While Charlie was pending and I was traveling, I knew I couldn’t let Charlie go! I returned home and adopted the same dog I just got into ABRL!
He was a wild man for sure! He was used to going out on a lease to potty and while that was great, he obviously had had No Obedience whatsoever! Through our many years together, and classes, he earned his TDI and AKC’s THD, and continued his therapy dog visits to earn TDIA designation. What is most extraordinary is that Charlie never met a person OR dog he disliked, so it appeared! Long ago Charlie passed the Herding Instinct Test and took an Intro to Nose Work
class, but his owner never took to those and so we stuck with therapy work. With his temperament, he was the perfect therapy dog I say! Charlie is retired from that now and spends both days and nights sleeping on his cushion or begging for food, but his stub of a tail keeps wagging! He doesn’t want me out of his sight though his sight is diminished. He has survived cancer (surgeries) and other “old age” diseases and will forever remain my beloved and extraordinary “Charlie Man.”
The BHF Silver Beards Program celebrates Bouviers who have reached the age of 12. If you would like to honor your young at heart Bouv on our Facebook page and website, please contact the Silver Beards Coordinator, Lara Harriger at bhfsilverbeards@gmail.com.