Watson- to know him is to be inspired by him. I met Watson last Summer as one of our Grand Prize winners of the Colorado Pet Pantry Calendar Contest. And he just may be the most famous dog I’ve photographed to date!
If you think you’ve seen Watson before that’s because he’s a bone-afied local celebrity, having starred in several episode with Dr. Jeff The Rocky Mountain vet.
When selecting a local for Watson’s photo session I was careful to plan for a location that would be easily accessible for the wheeled wonder. Boy was I in for a surprise! As I strolled across the rolling grass of Wash Park to meet up with Watson’s people- Kiki (his mum) and Susan (his rescuer), I saw him pop out of the car and come barreling across the green with the afterburners in full gear!
Only 15 minutes prior I’d been photographing another contest winner, Tator, an English Bulldog who, well, let’s just say he set his own pace through the park. And so the gearshift from laid-back Tator to hell-bent-for-leather Watson left me rolling in the grass, spinning my camera dials and just trying to keep up.
But Watson’s story began long before that joyous morning. Without going into too much detail, Watson suffered a catastrophic accident that left him without the use of his back legs. And his original family wasn’t able to continue caring for him. But his doctor, Dr. Rachel of Planned Pethood, saw a spark in him that he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. And so she convinced the family to surrender him to the loving care of Susan and the rest of the amazing team at Planned Pethood International. With a lot of love and even more therapy Watson began to find himself again. Kiki, a puggle mom of 3 already, watched his story unfold on social media and couldn’t resist the draw of this little man who just wouldn’t quit.
When the time came for Watson to leave the clinic and find a furever home, Susan wasn’t about to hand him off to just anyone. She carefully combed through protentional homes for what felt like forever. But when she met Kiki and Kiki met Watson it was crystal clear that they were meant to be a family.
Watson’s come a long way from those first scary days in the animal ER. Now his story and radiating personality serve as a beacon of hope for children and adults alike who are struggling with their own disabilities. Whether he’s attending a conference or touring the country to meet his adoring fans, or just enjoying a burger at Denver Beer Company it’s Watson’s joyful demeanor that really touches people hearts.
If Watson were to tell you his story it’d go something like this:
“When I was injured and my family couldn’t take care of me, I didn’t know what would happen. I was in so much pain but Dr. Rachel felt like I could live a full life if given a chance. Susan cared for me at Dr Jeff’s and gave me hope when she got me wheels and got me into therapy so I would be strong enough to walk.
I got used to living at Planned Pethood International but was lonely at night when everyone left. One day a lady came to see me who had been watching me on Facebook for 6 months. She has 3 older female puggles she rescued but she wanted me to have a home. When she walked in and saw me, she started to cry. She took me home 5 days later and adopted me 4 months later on her birthday. My mom makes sure I still visit Susan and Dr Jeff’s and we have stayed in hotels when we go to conferences. I love going places, especially Denver Beer Company where I get my own burger and get to meet people. We were supposed to take a road trip this summer to meet some of my favorite Puggle fans in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Canada, Arizona and California but we will have to wait till next year. One of my best Puggle friends, Chase in New Jersey, had a Facebook live party for me when I was on Animal Planet last year on Rocky Mountain Vet. But for now, I hang out on the couch with my head on mom’s lap.”
If you’d like to follow Watson’s story head over to Watson the Super Puggle on Facebook.
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