Rufus the dog, and his life journey as a healer and teacher.

Hi, My name is Anjie and i am fundraising for my lovely dog Rufus and his treatment.

Rufus the dog, and his life journey as a healer and teacher.

Rufus, now around approximately 10 or 11 years old, was rescued by a woman after being on the streets for two years.

He was in a terrible state. So badly matted, he was finally caught because he could no longer run away from rescuers.

Once his matted infested coat was shaved off, he was so emaciated, the vet listed him as a whippet, which he's clearly not.

One of his first rescuers dogs then attacked him and ripped out some teeth, and loosened others in his already inflamed, rotting mouth.

It took 3 years to get the previous rescuer to make it possible for me to get any vet work done on these dogs, by either taking them back, sending me their paperwork, or signing an affidavit to say they are relinquishing them to me.

Finally after 3 years, dog licensing here made the decision to turn them over to my name, as having been abandoned and I was finally able to have a vet do his urgent mouth work, and remove another 6 of the rotted teeth that were left.

Finally, this little old man, was free of continual pain.

He was originally left with me to work with him to bring him back from his years of trauma, and extreme fear aggression from these experiences, so that his rescuer could rehome him.

And he thrived, he quickly learned that I was a strong leader that would keep him safe, and step in front of him when needed, and so he was able to truly let down and let go, relax and find peace. He felt loved like he never had before.

He put on weight, and began to have a tail that wagged, and soon to do dancie dancie happy turns of joy.

Within months, a second wee soul joined us for help. A tiny emaciated pomeranian, from the same original rescuer who was so broken, she had stopped eating and completely shut down.

Rufus knew what to do now, and naturally worked with me to bring her back.

They and my rescue cat Monty were now tight as theives. Monty, the 'suicidal' cat (as described by his owners), to be travel trained to move to london with them. He had arrived during my cancer treatment, angry and violent and he hated humans, and he would attack me constantly.

But we found each other, Monty learned that he could actually communicate with a human, and with that; his world changed.

He stopped attacking, and began talking, of course he hasn't stopped since. He realised that he loved me, and began to climb up and watch over me by sleeping on my feet after each chemo, for three days at a time. Only leaving to toilet or eat, and had become my rock and best friend throughout that lonely year.

When Rufus came into our world, Monty recognised his trauma, and even though he was a dog, to be despised and hissed at, Monty soon started climbing up beside him and sitting there watching him while he slept like he had never slept before.

For days, Rufus just slept, and Monty started curling up beside him, keeping Rufus warm and feeling safe.

As my world changed and evolved, finding I could no longer work in corporate from the brain damage from the chemotherapy, I had to come up with a way to not only support us all, but to create a future that we could thrive within.

I went back to working with animals, as an animal communicator, and healer.

These three souls, have stepped up and naturally work with me. It's truly amazing to watch and be a part of.

Rufus is my 2ic, he works with puppies and dogs, most of whom come here to learn how to live safely and confidently in dog world. He teaches them sound social skills and respectful boundaries. He sits quietly at the door, while they scream and bark, as I train them to learn that it's OK not to have their human in eyesight constantly.

They learn, that big grown up dogs don't panic, and just use the time to chill, so they learn to just settle too.

He tells them off if they're mucking up and playing boisterously with each other, and it's getting too rough, as puppies do.

If they still don't listen, he does what a mother dog does, and runs straight between the two ratbags, and flicks his tail as he goes, just as their mama would do, to tell them that's enough.

Every puppy or senior dog that is scared of the world, finds safety and love from Rufus, and all find their way to not only climb up and sleep beside him, but more often than not, on top of him.

I laughed when I saw his head poking put from under three young ones, and I could see his 'proud of himself' eyes rolling as he looked at me as if to say ' what's an old man supposed to do with this mama,!'

He loves every one of his wee grandchildren, and between him and the others in my wee family, they work with me to 'integrate' every dog that comes here, into their pack. Because they know, that a dog can never truly feel complete, without not only their human family, but a dog family.

There came a time where darkness entered our space, and he took a kick from the boot of the attacker. In doing this, I truly believe he saved my life.

He was gravely ill, he took the kick over his spleen, but fortunately, the huge lump went down over several days of healing treatments, and many prayers.

His body was herniated, and over the next few months, with the pull of gravity, it made its way down to his tummy, where it now rests, his intestines sliding down through the hernia to create the bulge.

With regular daily gentle massage, they pulpate back inside, but he needs surgery, and webbing, to close the hernia and allow him to no longer be at critical risk of his intestines being damaged or twisting.

They say we are looking at around $10,000 for this operation, but that is not definite yet until I can find the right vet surgeon who can do all the right tests and ultrasounds etc to confirm the actual quote.

They can't quote how much it's going to cost for the tests in order to quote the operation, but I will get it done as soon as possible.

Rufus has devoted his life to the service of souls in need, and now he needs me, to step up once again for him.