Angel Martinez, who works as a bartender at JR.’s Bar and Grill, is a dedicated animal lover. So when another Caven Enterprises Inc. employee told him about an animal being mistreated, he knew he had to do something to help. It took him awhile, but this week, Martinez’s efforts paid off.
Here’s his account of Gideon’s journey:
“I heard about Gideon through one of the women that work in the corporate office at Caven Enterprises. Her friend had been trying for two years to get something done and had finally convinced the owner to give him up.
“Gideon had been tied to a tree for almost two years in all elements; he was barely fed and cared for. I tried for about six weeks to find a home through my own networking contacts, to no avail. Then I decided to go assess the dog myself and meet him and the owner face-to-face so that I could start reaching out to rescues and looking for a foster home.
“It turned out that Gideon was the sweetest, most mild-tempered dog I’d ever met but terrified of everything and everyone. After listening to the owner give me the most ridiculous story as to why Gideon was living in such horrible conditions, I went to work.
“I shared Gideon’s story on Facebook, pleading with people to share his photos and to tag potential rescues and foster homes.
“Finally, it happened: I got contacted by a volunteer from Paws in the City and, at around the same time, found a foster home for Gideon!
“I was so excited! After making all the necessary arrangements, we were able to break Gideon out of his hell.”
Martinez said he immediately took Gideon to a vet to be checked out then on to a foster home. The first foster fell through, so they need a new one. The dog, he said, didn’t know how to respond to such comfortable quarters as the vet’s office.
“I bet he slept like a baby last night!” Martinez said, the morning after delivering Gideon to the vet’s office. “I didn’t get a picture of it, but when we walked into vet’s office, he was so confused by the tile. When he realized that the tile floor was cold, he just sprawled all four legs out and wouldn’t get up!”
— Tammye Nash