Goodbye, Doe-Koo . . . you were a good boy.

Sometimes there’s a dog who’s story is just so inspirational it needs to be shared. This is Doe-Koo’s:

Found wandering the streets of Oakland, emaciated, covered in open wounds and with a torn ear, it didn’t take a genius to realize this pit bull was probably a survivor from the nearby cruelty bust that involved a well known fighting ring.

Highly leash reactive and well versed in dog-on-dog combat, he was not exactly an ideal adoption candidate, but that didn’t stop Shavon from instantly falling in love the minute he licked her face with his infamously large and active tongue. From that moment she devoted herself to making him the best breed ambassador she could.

Never letting her guard down, she worked with him constantly, attended Bad Rap training classes, and got him to the point where he could walk down the street without even batting an eye at another dog. Additionally, he learned to live peacefully with cats and even made a doggie friend or two.

Paco and Doe-Koo became roommates almost two years ago, and while sometimes there was a great difficulty in telling the two apart, there was never any difficulty between the two of them, a testament to the tremendous amount of work Shavon put into him and how Doe-Koo blossomed under her care.

Last week marked the end of Doe-Koo’s life. He contracted an ailment that resembled a brain infection and had to be put down. Although he was only 6, that’s practically old age for an inner city pit bull.

We miss him tremendously but will always think of him as a survivor. You were a good boy, Doe-Koo.

“Crumpet the Disgruntled Elf” (Paco) and “Nutmeg the Beefcake Reindeer” (Doe-Koo)

Princess Doe-Koo

Doe-Koo and Paco demonstrate the powers of obedience