Lyle was pulled from a kill shelter in Georgia the day he was scheduled to be euthanized. Six years ago, Georgia shelters were full of dogs just like Lyle who existed largely because of low levels of spaying and neutering. Something about Lyle tugged on the heartstrings of Beth Rushing, so she rescued him just in time, holding him in her own home for four months while trying to find a forever home for him. That home came through Coveted Canines and Creatures.
Before Lyle, Melodie and Steve raised a dachshund named Abe. After a long and happy life together, they were absolutely gutted when he crossed the rainbow bridge. After about a year of grieving and healing, they felt ready to welcome another dog into their home and hearts.
Lyle’s “strong jaw.”
The couple had a picture in their minds of what their next dog might be like. On a trip to Italy, they befriended a blonde street dog with a compelling character they named Raphael, and felt they could love a dog like that. They also adored their friend’s dog Libby, who rocked an adorable underbite. When they saw Lyle with his “strong jaw,” they knew he was the one. “There’s nothing like a good underbite,” said Melodie.
In less than a week, Lyle went from a photo on a rescue page to throwing up in their car on his way to his new home. Despite his propensity for motion sickness, the couple believe Lyle is a unicorn dog. “He’s a really good boy and he was so close to nobody knowing that he had so much potential. We feel really lucky he found us.”
Lyle with his people, Steve and Mel, during one of his favourite activities - hiking!
Lyle didn’t bark for his first month in his new home, and he shrunk from fast movement, particularly feet. He also trembled uncontrollably at the sound of a running bath. There’s no way to know what caused these fears, but through patience, understanding and training, he’s become more relaxed around people, though not around the bathtub. He also had a knack for finding trinkets and shoes to chew on. Their home was dachshund-proofed for Abe, but Lyle is taller and more mobile, so they had to make some changes around the house to prevent the destruction of more items. Apart from those initial issues, Lyle’s behaviour was always quite outstanding.
Lyle the Wizard of Weaves.
Lyle was also bony and skinny, a little over 20 pounds. With the help of sweet potato leather and weekly agility classes, he’s become a muscular, 35 pound “wizard of weaves.” If able, Lyle would weave his way up and down the length of a football field until the end of time. He’s also extremely motivated by balls and loves being recognized for his good work. While he’s a little dog, he has a big attitude and prides himself on a job well done.
They don’t know how much Lyle remembers about his life before being rescued, but based on how comfortable and protective he is with his family, Melodie knows he is happy with the life he has now. “Based on everything he does and how he interacts, we know he loves us and that love is unconditional…. I think he’s just a really grateful dog and as a result he’s just so good.”
Lyle with his cousin, Lincoln, another CCCR alumni.
The couple knows a lot more about rescue organizations now than before adopting Lyle, and admire Carly and the whole Coveted Canines and Creatures Rescue team immensely for the selfless work they do. So much so she convinced her sister to adopt a dog through them too, a hurricane dog from Texas named Lincoln. Carly and the team are great at assessing each dog’s temperament, strengths and weaknesses, are transparent, and relentless about finding the right home for the right dog. This is how you do rescue right.
Lyle’s pull photo from the shelter in Georgia.
One of the most rewarding things about adopting a rescue is being able to save an animal from a fate they had no choice in. In every conversation with every person even considering a dog, Mel’s mantra is always ‘adopt, don’t shop.’ As she notes, there are plenty of amazing dogs out there who need homes. We don’t need to make more; we need to save the ones the world has already created for us.