Hannah Conway
“All he wanted was to be loved. The fact that I get to give him that love every day feels really incredible.”
Sometimes a change of identity is mighty, and it signifies joining a new family with the hope of a better life.
And for Zib, this was certainly the case.
For Zib’s first year in the world, he was neglected and abandoned by his old owners. The young dog, previously known as Kong, lived in a shelter in Oklahoma and suffered from a skin disease and severe sunburn.
Zib’s skin was so painful that he could not stand anyone touching him. He had white fur with patches all over and bright pink spots showing.
Zib was taken in by Border Collie Rescue & Rehab, Texas, and after he was healthy again, he took a new name.
Curtis Hartsell fell for Zib, and he described Zib as ‘having a huge smile and friendly eyes.’
“I viewed his profile and I fell in love with his picture and description”, said Curtis.
“He was described to me by his foster mom, and I described my life to her. She thought that we were a perfect match for each other”
Curtis was worried that his work would not give him much time to spend with the Zib. However, he just sensed that it would all be alright.
“I asked for daily updates throughout the adoption process. I felt like he was already mining, and these people just helped reunite us.”
After interviews and a home inspection, the centre accepted Curtis’ application, and the pair met for the first time.
Curtis renamed the dog Zib in honour of a famous space dog.
“The original dog was just one which ran around the base and got to be sent to space for a successful flight,” explained Curtis.
“I felt the name fit my ZIB because he was a lost dog until he was picked up and nurtured back to health. Now, we’re both off to the stars.”
When Curtis went to pick Zib up, his friend captured the moment when they first met.
“They gave me his leash. I knelt down, named him, and asked if he wanted to go home with me,” Curtis said.
“I’ll call you ZIB. Do you like that? Will you like to come home with me ZIB?”
“He was sitting in front of me, looked into my eyes, hugged me, and bowed. I’ll never forget that moment.”
Zib loved his new home and foster dad and now he had all the love he’ll ever need.
“I feel thrilled and fulfilled. I love that I loved a puppy who just wanted a little love throughout his life. It feels incredible,” Curtis said.
“I feel he has saved me as well, and I’ll do anything for him. Our lives revolve around each other, and I love it that way.”