We double-dog dare you not to love these rescue pups

Of all the double entendres, we appreciate the words “rescue dog” most. Pulled from the misery of neglect and abuse, these pets rescue children, families, and even, in our case, entire neighborhoods from boring, egocentric lives.

Want a little perspective? Watch a three-legged dog strut down the street with an honestly earned swagger, chin held high, eyes alert, head nodding politely in respectful acknowledgement.

Or spend some time with a giant fluff of a guard dog who looks like he could eat you whole, but leaps for joy when he sees you coming because he only wants to lick your hand.

We get to see all of this and even more from our perch on the corner of our street because our neighborhood has become a haven for rescue dogs.

Take Karl, with the intimidating head of a pit bull and the soul of a Buddhist monk. He landed in the shelter twice when his second owner lost his job and became financially unable to care for him. Now he lives in a house with two brand new empty nesters who, with their four grown children, love him unconditionally. Karl walks regally past our house and pauses graciously to acknowledge the treats Vince keeps on hand for him and his friends.

The rescue dogs in our neighborhood thrive under the patient care of their owners and affectionate attention from the rest of us. Thor, the beautiful mutt who lives across the street from us, spends his days entertaining visitors of both the two-legged and four-legged variety. We thought the poor guy was getting fat from all the treats everyone gave him until he got a haircut and we realized he had been just a little extra fuzzy.

Thor’s sweetheart, literally the girl next door, is Macy, the three-legged wonder dog. We’ve been fascinated with Macy since we met her. In fact, she’s mentioned in the description of this blog. Plucked from an abusive situation and found with her mother on the side of a road one day, Macy has a happy home with an energetic little boy, his parents and three older sisters.

Just down the street live Shady and Sunny, a pair of midnight black pranksters, rescued from a life of neglect and now living the high life. They enjoy early morning strolls, mid-afternoon soccer matches and the kind of unconditional, reciprocal love unique to dogs and their owners.

Someone once said the reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. We think the world needs a little more tail wagging and a little less tongue wagging. We’re happy to highlight these proud survivors and their owners, who brighten our neighborhood every day.