Atticus
Atticus is this year’s Jersey City’s PuppyUp Walk Hero. To find out more about PuppyUp Jersey City, please follow this link. Their Walk is October 18, 2015. You’ll find everybody at Dusty’s Doghouse, 188-190 Avenue E., Bayonne, NJ. Festivities take place from 11 AM – 3 PM.
My name is Atticus Walker-Wheeler and I am 8 years old. In May 2008, when I was just a puppy some kind person found me abandoned in a park in Queens, NY. That’s where my journey to now began.
A group of people who help us find forever homes took me in and placed me in a foster home. If you’ve seen my photos, you’ll no doubt agree that I am incredibly handsome and this caused some good people to want me as their dog. Four times someone applied to adopt me and four times they brought me back to the foster home because I was “just too much dog for them to handle.” I’m not bad, just big, strong and quite active. I just LOVE to be loved!!
Then my lucky day arrived. My two dads came to visit me. They’ve said that when they left after our first visit that is boy MUST be part of our family. Soon I visited them and my favorite dog, Ginger. She was a rescue when she was my age (about a year old) and now about 8 years old and ready for a brother ‒ that’s me. All went well and soon I moved in with my fifth adopting family. Needing a little help to teach me good manners, my Dads found Jude. She quickly started training us and it became clear that I had finally found my true forever family.
Less than 2 years later, Ginger was diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery, a month of radiation and was better. Then another tumor and another surgery which took longer to get better. Within months, a third type of cancer took her away from us 12/30/09. I was very sad.
My Dads let me have some time to grow up a bit and to be the only dog. Then they came home from a trip to Turks & Caicos with a gift for me. Her name is Rozee and she is a Potcake Puppy from the rescue on the island. I Love her! We are a very happy family!
In August 2014 I had tumors growing on each of my ears and one was growing quickly. The vet had to remove both ears and all the cancer was gone! Rozee missed my ears more than I did because she always nipped at them when we played with the tennis balls. Then in May 2015 a small lump on my chin and one on my toe began to grow. Off to the vet again to learn these too were cancer. The vet removed the one from my chin and amputated the toe. Again, all the cancer was gone and I remain a happy boy enjoying life with my forever family. Rozee and I with our Dads, Chris and David.
The one truth that remains: My Dads feel that their life with us, Rozee and Atticus, makes them very happy but nothing could make a rescue dog happier than finding their forever family and living to bring them love and joy!
