Clark

Shady Dog Pet ID: 1008
My hang out: Tehachapi, CA

My mug shots …

Here’s my story …

This is the story of a lucky stray and a family that was never going to get a dog. To know what a tremendous triumph Clark made over cruelty and neglect, we have to start with the beginning as we know it. Clark is a beautiful boxer/pit bull mix who was found wandering a dangerous street in Bakersfield, California, scrounging for food. His protruding ribs made clear that he had been hungry for a very long time, and he had deep scars where someone or something had cut him badly. He was also suffering from heat stroke. Had he been left on his own, he would likely not have made it very much longer. He was picked up off the street by Kern County animal control and placed in a high-kill shelter. As a pit bull mix, and considering his emaciated state, it was likely he would not last long there.

Clark was really down on his luck, but he had one thing going for him: his winning personality. Clark’s wide smile and can-do attitude caught the attention of the shelter staff, who kept him alive and started him on the path to recovery from life on the street. Months passed, and still they protected him.

After an impossible five months in the shelter, Clark caught the attention of a representative of Marley’s Mutts, a local dog rescue. They took him to safety and began working with him to get him ready to be a pet. His foster parents, Nick and Becky, fell in love with him immediately, and if they had kept him much longer, they were in danger of a “foster fail,” keeping a dog that was supposed to be temporary.

Meanwhile, the Bogurskys were a family of no pets. Not one, not ever. When Andy proposed to Kala, he thought that he would never want pets and that would never change. Kala agreed begrudgingly, though she loves animals dearly. They decided to have children instead of pets.

That worked out just fine for a long time, until it became painfully obvious that their youngest daughter, Dharma, was born to love animals. She ate, slept, and breathed dogs and cats her whole young life, but never had a furry friend to call her own. Even when it was clear that she needed a pet to love, Mom and Dad resisted.

And then something happened. One day when Kala got home from work, Andy said, “Convince me to get a dog.” Kala was stunned, but quickly began listing all of the reasons a dog would be good for the family. It wasn’t easy. Andy still didn’t really want a pet, but he wanted what was best for Dharma and the family. Kala was about to give up when she remembered their sister-in-law, who is a bit of a clean freak, but a devoted dog mom. If she could have a dog and deal with all the things that dogs do, Andy could, too. Elated, Kala shared the news on Facebook: The Bogurskys were getting a dog! But what dog?

Their friend Nick piped up to tell them about his “cool” foster dog, Clark. Seconds after he posted a photo, Andy and Kala texted each other simultaneously: “I want Clark!” They immediately applied to adopt Clark, and as soon as his medical status was cleared, he was theirs. It was not easy bringing him home. He still had some minor medical issues and was scared to death to come into the house. He spent his first two days hiding in a corner of the backyard. Despite his terror, he was always gentle. Kala stayed beside him the whole time and eventually got him to come inside. With love and patience, the family was able to help Clark become the pampered pet he was always meant to be. He has plenty of food, his own raised bed by the front windows, and unlimited fluffy duckies to play with (and destroy). He’s a spoiled little sweetheart.

And Andy? Clark has become the light of his life. The two of them are simply inseparable. They go everywhere together, and Andy is always dressing Clark up for photos. And the feeling is clearly mutual. Clark loves Dharma and the rest of the family, but Daddy is his number one.

So now you know how a scroungy mutt became the life and love of a family who didn’t know they needed him.

Author:  Andy B.

PDF – Clark Series 2 Card (Print & Play)