Oogy was ugly outside but not inside. There was a good reason for him to be so ugly on the outside but the beauty inside was a real surprise. He only weighed about tw enty pounds at 10 weeks old when we was first tied to a stake. His purpose in life, according to his owners, was to be bait for a Pit Bull. To them he was just a training tool and totally dispensable.
When found, most of his left ear and the majority of that side of his little face was missing. The powerful jaws of the attacking Pit Bull had crushed the lower portion of his tiny jaw. His owners tossed him in a cage and walked away. He was expendable to them and they expected him to slowly bleed to death. He had served his purpose, They never looked back.
From Dog Fighting Arena To A Loving Home
In 2003, Oogy may have thought he had died and gone to heaven but his adoptive family thought they were the ones being blessed! When Larry Levin decided to take Oogy into his heart and home, he had no idea of the door he had opened!
Larry had two adolescent sons who fell in love with Oogy. Over the next twelve years, their attachment grew by leaps and bounds. In 2oo8, Oogy was introduced to the public on the Oprah Winfrey show. By 2010, he was the subject of a best selling book. (Written by Larry Levin, Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love, is still available on Amazon.)
In March, 2015, Levin sadly posted in a Facebook group that Oogie had passed away. As befitting a family member beloved by them all, he was surrounded by those he loved. His post detailed the circumstances in quite a touching fashion.
His sons had spent over half of their lives loving the lseriously disfigured bait dog who had been left to die as a puppy. The strength of their bond was obvious in the following quotes and photos.
“Oogy had’t been able to navigate the steps for a long time now — and the four of us spent every minute of the weekend together, sleeping in the family room, eating there, watching movies, going out for short walks. We covered Oogy with kisses. He kissed us back,” Levin posted.
Levin’s post was heartwrenching as he how an adult son pulled a mattress into their family room. Oogy’s loved ones wanted to be at Oogy’s side as he approached his final hours.
“He brought me joy every single day for the last 12 years. Every single day. Think about that. I know this profound sadness is inevitable, and I don’t know how the hole will be filled, or even if it can be, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” Levin continued.
The former bait dog left to die may have been ugly on outside but not inside and his family loved him intensely. He was surrounded by them and their love on during his final hours.
Larry Levine shared his thoughts on that last day. “This morning I fed Oogy a bison filet. I put moisturizer on his big fat nose and drops in his eyes so they wouldn’t itch, just like I do every day, and I put his warm orange coat on him, the one that Linda gave him, and we went for a ride. He was 100 years old and kept our spirits up through the whole ordeal but he’s gone from us.”
Remembering Oogy in the years to come
Levin hopes that Oogy’s Facebook group will continue to “raise awareness” the cruel practice that left Oogy scarred forever. Even one dog abused in this way is too many. Hopefully, his best-selling book will help Oogy’s life story to touch many dog lovers in the future.
Oogy defied all the odds and lived a long, happy life, loved by his entire family until he moment of his death. You can help prevent other dogs from being abused in the dog-fighting ring. Just share this story with as many people as you can and encourage them to do the same.
Light the candle of knowledge to help get rid of the dark practice of dog fighting! Help to eradicate the automatic fear and hatred of a dog breed based on ignorance. Share true stories of loving family dogs to help fight the battle of misinformation maligning an entire breed of dogs.
Two More Enlightening Stories About Dogs Mistakenly Labeled Because of Their Breed
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