My Rescued Maltese, Mac

by Kajira
(Massachusetts)

I adopted Mac several years ago. He had originally been owned by a breeder who did not really care about her dogs except as money-makers. Mac has ears which stick up too much for a Maltese, so she couldn't sell him. Instead he was a stud dog.
The groomer who worked for the breeder abused Mac and he became vicious. He wound up being rescued and was living in a vet's office who is involved in rescues of puppymill dogs. An older couple of my acquaintance, who had adopted a Lhasa from the vet previously, saw Mac and adopted him. He was much more energetic than their Lhasa and would bite and try to run away. They realized he needed a young, lively owner who could handle him and asked me if I was interested. I agreed. I have mild asthma and a Maltese is less allergenic than other breeds. Plus Mac was so cute and tiny, and I felt sorry for him.
At first I wondered if this was a good decision because Mac refused to be groomed, had seizures, and growled all the time. However, we soon bonded, with the help of a wonderful groomer, Candy's Canine Cuts, who specializes in "difficult" dogs and who helped Mac realize that he wasn't going to be hit anymore. I also learned that Mac has food allergies and is sensitive to chemicals. This helped to stop the seizures.
Mac is eleven years old now. He is such a happy little dog! It is amazing how different he is from when I adopted him. He does have some joint,dental, and skin issues, but nothing horribly serious, and the vet says he is pretty healthy for a dog of that age and background. I am so blessed to have little Mac!