Dog charms construction worker, is adopted after years of neglect

Construction worker Richard Smith was on a job building a new animal shelter and adoption center in Clearwater, Florida, in July when he kept seeing a large dog toting a toy in his mouth walk by with a handler.

“He was always super happy to see me, and he always had his squeaky toy,” said Smith, who was building the new shelter next to the current one, Humane Society of Pinellas. “Sometimes, he’d jump on me and he’d almost knock me over because he weighs 70 pounds.”

Smith, 35, learned that the mixed-breed dog’s name was King, and he’d arrived at the shelter in mid-June with a benign facial tumor so large it caused his head to droop to the ground.

King had been rescued from an abusive situation, where he was chained up in a yard all day, according to a Humane Society Instagram post from July 8.

“King’s journey to us has been nothing short of heroic,” the post read. “This sweet 5-year-old pup came to us from a partner shelter, escaping a life of neglect. When he arrived at HSP, he had a large ulcerated mass on his face.”

“The mass weighed a staggering 7 pounds, 10% of his body weight,” the post continued. “It was impossible to tell how long it had been left untreated.”

King had successful surgery to remove the mass, and he was getting treatment for heartworm disease when Smith first spotted the dog on his daily walks. In early August, when the Humane Society was looking for volunteers to temporarily foster shelter animals during Tropical Storm Debby, Smith immediately raised his hand.

“I’m single, and I’ve never had a dog of my own before, but I was really drawn to King, and I’d been wondering what it would be like to adopt him,” he said. “I thought if I took him during the tropical storm, I’d get an idea of whether it might work out.”

After a few days holed up with King as rain lashed against his apartment windows, Smith said he knew he wanted to make the arrangement official.

“He was such a well-mannered dog, and he just wanted to hang out with me,” Smith said. “He didn’t chew anything up, even when I ran out to the store. King ruined the blinds when he poked his head through to watch for me, but that was it.”

“I replaced the blinds with curtains so he could look out the window easier,” he added.

When the storm was over, Smith returned King to the shelter and told staffers that he wanted to adopt the pooch.

“I live alone – I get bored and lonely just like King gets bored and lonely when he’s alone,” he said. “I left him for a few days so he could get his second round of heartworm treatment at the shelter, and I couldn’t wait until it was time to pick him up.”

On Aug. 8, it was official: Smith signed the paperwork and took King home.

“I was real happy to give him a forever home, because he’d been passed over before for younger dogs,” he said. “A lot of people didn’t pay him any mind, but he was perfect for me.”

Shelter workers were also thrilled with the match.

“We were excited to see King being adopted, especially by someone who is connected to our mission and helping to build a new facility so we can help more pets like King,” said Peyton Davis, marketing manager for Humane Society of Pinellas.

Davis said King had to learn how to be a dog all over again after his surgery.

“The mass on his face hindered his ability to move around and play freely like a normal dog,” she said. “Our staff worked endlessly with him to give him long walks and keep up his enrichment with toys. He became a sweet boy that stole all our staff members’ hearts.”

Smith said King has adjusted well to his new life, and he’s developed a few new habits.

“He completely takes over the bed at night, and he’s well on the way to taking over the couch,” he said. “I’m taking that as a sign he’s comfortable.”

When he gets home from work each day, Smith romps around with King and gives him one of his favorite cookies from Three Dog Bakery, he said.

“One other thing he really likes is to sit on my friend’s boat and go fishing,” he said. “So we’re definitely a good fit.”

He said he’ll always be thankful that his employer was chosen to build the Humane Society’s new shelter.

“Seeing him that day – it was just meant to be,” Smith said. “He’s always super excited now to see me when I come home, and I feel the exact same way about him.”