Otto’s story begins in a rural Indiana shelter. The shelter was moving to a new building and the decision was made that no animals from the old shelter would transfer to the new. This meant that all animals at the old building had to be found homes or faced euthanization.
Otto was guessed to be a 10 year old Labrador mix that was taken from his owners on neglect charges– he was tied up in their yard, emaciated, and bald due to flea allergies and untreated thyroid condition. The shelter manager felt there was something special about Otto and pleas were made to save him. Placing Paws of Illinois, a newly formed rescue group in Libertyville IL , agreed to take Otto into their all volunteer program.
Otto arrived at Placing Paws with eyes were so infected he could barely see and skin far worse then expected. The green material coming from his eyes was indescribable. His physical conditions made him smell so bad that he could not stay at the rescue’s doggie daycare, so he became a resident at the rescue Vet’s office. The Vet determined Otto had been so neglected that along with the thyroid condition, eye and ear infections, he also had serious skin infections that would require strong antibiotics. Fortunately, a visiting pharmaceutical rep happened to see Otto at the Vet and donated the needed antibiotics for Otto. The Vet also determined Otto was not ten years old; he was at best 5 to 7 years old.
Otto was in such rough physical shape that he spent 78 days at the rescue Vet recovering from his neglect. Despite his challenges, he won the hearts of everyone who met him. He became their mascot, spending time in the back room instead of in a kennel. As time went on, the hair on Otto’s body began to fill in a little and he became spunkier. He finally was able to transfer to a foster home where his character really started to show. He discovered the joy of exploring and wandering around their yard, free from chains, and learned how to live life as a “real” dog.
While at the Vet for a check up, they noticed an unusual area on his chest. Surgery was performed to remove what turned out to be a 5 inch sized mass from his chest. That day it was snowing very hard and when Otto returned to his foster home post surgery, all he wanted was to be in their back yard and play in the snow. Otto’s joy for the simple things in life was not stopped by surgery! Much to the relief of everyone, the surgery results came back that this mass was a benign tumor (not cancer).
Otto became Placing Paws’ unofficial ambassador, attending fundraisers and educational programs, and would not let anyone pass us by without saying “hi” to him.
But what Otto needed most was to find a forever home, so his story was submitted to the local press as “Pet Of The Week”. After several stops and starts, an application came in from Amy and her husband Tony. Amy saw Otto’s picture at a local grocery store and knew she wanted him to join their family. It was a match made in heaven! Tony is retired and enjoys Otto’s company while Amy is at work. Now Otto, a formerly neglected and unwanted dog, goes to the dog park almost every day, gets his meals cooked for him and is loved beyond belief. Otto has found a forever home and his story is truly one very “happy tail”.