Information

Lucky Chance
Legacy Name: Lucky Chance

The Reborn Jollin
Owner: Santa

Age: 11 years, 10 months, 2 days

Born: June 29th, 2012

Adopted: 11 years, 10 months, 2 days ago

Adopted: June 29th, 2012

Pet Spotlight Winner
March 23rd, 2013

Statistics

• Level: 1
   
• Strength: 10
   
• Defense: 10
   
• Speed: 10
   
• Health: 10
   
• HP: 10/10
   
• Intelligence: 2
   
• Books Read: 2
• Food Eaten: 0
• Job: Unemployed

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"My name is Chance. I know, it sounds odd, but most names do if you think about it. I was abandoned when I was very young. I lived on the streets scranging for food, sleeping wherever I could; But I don't like to talk about that; let's talk about after that... when I got my second chance... and my name."
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Not much is known about the first few weeks of Lucky Chance's life. What we do know is that she was found in a dumpster, in the middle of the winter, barely alive.

A worker at a nearby restaurant discovered her and could tell right away that she desperately needed help. Lucky was so tiny that she weighed less than a pound. All her bones were clearly visible, and she was completely covered in fleas and ticks.

Lucky showed signs of being very sick and previously abused. Despite this, I fell in love with her and she became the newest member of my family. My other dog, Marlie, immediately welcomed her as well, though she did get a little annoyed when Lucky tried to nurse on her.

The funny thing about me adopting Lucky was that mere hours before, I was set to adopt another dog in need of a home. I never would have been able to take both dogs in, but as I was on my way to pick up the other dog, I received a phone call that the owner had decided to keep her. Even weirder, I had also been fostering what we thought was a stray dog. The night before Lucky was discovered, the stray was reunited with his owner. The timing worked out perfectly, and it was as if Lucky had come to me by fate... or perhaps, just by a lucky chance.

The vet estimated that Lucky was only three weeks old when she was found, and said that she had the worst case of fleas, ticks, and worms that they'd ever seen. She had virtually no immune system and had to be quarantined for several months, and was so young that she was unable to eat puppy food. After nearly two weeks of feeding her round the clock, she still only weighed two pounds.

As Lucky got older, she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and seizures. She's also extremely intolerant to cold and has to wear sweaters in the winter and sleep on a heated bed. There were many times when people told me to give up and just put her down, but you don't give up on family. Besides, I'm the crazy about the cold either, and its not like she could help being sick.



The first several weeks I had Lucky were spent trying to get her stabilized enough so she'd be able to have her first set of puppy shots. I also had to bathe her several times a day with special shampoo to try to get the fleas off her since she was far too young for medication. I also needed to make sure to be home to feed her multiple times a day, which was difficult since I was juggling two jobs at the time. It was a hard time for both of us, both emotionally and financially, but in the end, I think it made Lucky and I that much closer.

After three months and countless vet visits, we finally received the good news. Lucky was finally deemed healthy enough to be around other dogs and receive all her puppy shots. The vet, having seen her dozens of times and knowing her story well, gave her an award to celebrate. The real prize for me though, was seeing Lucky wag her tail. For the longest time, she was so scared around humans that all I saw was that abused scared little pup that I rescued. But now, for the first time, I was seeing a happy dog.



What I didn't know when I adopted her is that Lucky is a chihuahua basenji mix. Basenji are known for being the "dumbest breed in the world," making them one of the hardest to train. Despite this, Lucky was potty trained within a week of getting her, and learned all the basic commands equally as fast. She's very smart and curious, and picks up on anything extremely quickly. She loves games, hunting, and puzzles.

Unfortunately, Lucky also inherited the 'yodeling-howl' that the basenji breed is known for. Basenjis aren't able to bark due to their vocal cords, so instead, they emit this crazy yowling sound. It can get pretty annoying when you're trying to sleep at night.

Because Lucky is a basenji mix, she's sorta able to to bark... kinda. Her vocal cords are very weirdly developed, and her bark sounds very deep, as if she's a rottweiler instead of a 10 lb puppy. This has earned her the nickname 'Sir Gangster' by friends, and it stuck so much that now Lucky also responds to that name as well. She's also able to jump very high, which is funny to watch, because she jumps sideways rather that up. Like most basenji dogs, she tends to walk on two legs a lot, especially when curious. This, paired with the jumping, has given her the second nickname 'Kangaroo.'

Because of Lucky's past, she has nightmares often and fears being abused again. While most dogs will come greet you when you come home, it was normal for Lucky to run and hide.

She's also not use to eating from a bowl, having been starved as a baby. Instead of eating normally, she'll wait for you to leave the room, grab pieces of kibble, then run and hide. For a while, Lucky had to take anxiety meds because of all these fears, but she's slowly starting to learn that she's safe now.

Unlike her adopted dog foster mommy, Lucky is extremely well behaved. She enjoys playing with her sprong, tennis balls, kong, and her squeeky Angry Bird pig.

Lucky's hobbies include bouncing, climbing, hunting, squeaking the hell out of toys, and playing tag and tug-of-war. She routinely falls asleep curled up on my head, and is also the first dog I've ever had who actually watches TV, and, to my knowledge, the only dog that can plank.



Lucky's dislikes include bathing, cold, wet fur, and sudden noise/movements. She also hates it when humans wear shoes (the theory is she was kicked a lot as a puppy), but doesn't seem to mind chewing on them. While she still gets scared easily, with constant reassurance, she's doing great and recovering wonderfully.

Lucky hopes to one day follow in the footsteps of Marlie and become a model to help feed the hungry.

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Lucky Chance won spotlight nearly a year after this story was first written. She's come a VERY long way since then. She no longer has nightmares, fears humans (or shoes), or requires anxiety medication. She does still have hypoglycemia and seizure, but both conditions are now under control. She still has to wear sweaters when it's cold out, but have you seen how cute she looks in them? I'm not complaining. Overall, she has turned into an amazing dog and is the best friend anyone could ask for. The whole experience has made us closer, and if I had to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat.

Lucky's new interests include Mexican food, pouncing on anything that moves, hunting all the things, and playing with her bestest friend, Marlie. She's also an avid listener of The Foundations.

She's yet to become a model, but still remains hopeful.

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