Strider had a bit of a rough beginning. The first two and a half months of his life are a mystery. But then, how much do you remember when you were two and a half months old?

By the time he was two and a half months old, one cold Saturday afternoon he was shipped from a small town in Georgia from one animal rescue group to another animal rescue group in a town several miles south. He was called “Pirate”. He was in a pen outside with other rescue dogs. Unfortunately a cold front moved in that weekend.

The next day he met with a couple who was looking for a dog to fill their home and their lives. “Pirate” liked them, but then he liked everyone. The couple seemed to like him very much, but for some reason they left him there.

Two days later, that Tuesday morning, early, he was transported again. This time to a clinic where he was met, yet again, by strangers. He was in a strange place with strange people he did not know, strange sounds and very strange smells and he was only a 10 week old baby.

These strangers anesthetized him, neutered, vaccinated, tattooed and micro-chipped him. By the time he awoke that afternoon he found himself being transported yet again to yet another strange place. Only this time the couple he found himself with traveling in a van were vaguely familiar. He was too groggy and in pain to really figure it all out. All he knew is he wanted his doggy mom.

When the van finally stopped he was in yet another new place. It had a big yard. He was allowed to go inside the house…finally. Inside he found lots of toys and a big thick soft bed. It was his bed. He was just tall enough he could barely get his little legs up on it.

He was with the couple he met at the rescue a couple days before.

Even though “Pirate” liked everyone he met he was happy to meet this new couple and take on this new adventure, especially since he was allowed inside the house of his new home. He was inside, warm, fed and surrounded with lots of toys and attention.

Little did he know at the time, for “Pirate” this was just the beginning.