Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
The pictures of dogs on here kinda breaks my heart. I need to tell a story.
I moved to Tonga for 12 months in August 2011. My wife and I were walking through the streets one day to a friends house and we noticed their next door neighbours dog had had puppies. They were gorgeous; cute little pups who just looked adorable.
The issue is in Tonga, dogs are mistreated. Usually they're underfed, mistreated and under loved. I once saw a dog get run over and it's scarred my memory.
So this was playing in our mind as we saw these little pups playing. My wife has never been a dog person, and I've always had dogs around my life but was very particular with what I would get, so when the discussion of 'Should we adopt one?' came up, we were pretty hesitant. The first pup we went for, a nice little boy with rottweiler colours, was our first choice, but he simply wasn't interested and fretted each time I picked him up.
I called my wife and said 'Let me pick the one we should have.' I went back to the litter and watched as this brown, little 'runt' took issue with the rotty-coloured pup and tackled him to the ground to shut him up. I knew he was the one.
I picked him up and took him home. The poor little guy was really thin and very weak. I gave him some milk (I know it's not right, but this is Tonga and you don't have everything you need to raise a pup of four weeks) and after a while, took my shirt off and let him sleep on my chest. We've been best friends since.
We watched him grow into a strong, beautiful boy who brought the most intense sense of joy into our lives. Due to the 'hostile' surroundings i.e. people wanting to kill him because he was good meat, we would tie him up on a long lead for the day and leave him at our house when we went for work. When we'd return, he'd literally pee out of excitement. Licks, whimpers and jumps were the routine.
He was never a really well trained dog from the perspective that all I got him to do was sit, get him to come when I called and got him to obey the tone of my voice most of the time. I did him a disservice of loving him too much to want to train him well, which I know is the wrong thing, but he was my boy.
He was a loving dog though, and also 'Christian' in his attitude to other animals. He would 'feed the hungry' by often taking his food to the other dog in our compound, Rocky, who was never well fed. He would feed the little pup we called 'Scrap' who was desperate for food and would sneak into our yard for respite. He would play with both of them and in time, he changed them like he changed us as they became more playful and happy in their demeanor.
We always wanted to bring him home. The $6500+ bill got to the point where we had to say 'Not yet' as at the time we had no jobs to come back to. So we left him with friends whom we trusted. We know he's safe. We know we saved his life by adopting him, we know its the right thing to do, but emotionally it was the hardest thing I've ever done. I intend to go back to get him, but it's now a problem of finding a house for a dog etc etc.
Anyway, I just needed to get that off my chest and show some pics of my boy. His name's 'Piko', which is short for 'Fakapikopiko'; a Tongan word that means 'sleepy' or 'lazy'.
Miss you mate.
it breaks my heart
