Our Vets, Techs & Their Pets:
The Adventures of Tank and Bones
By Carrie, Veterinary Technician Assistant

My two rescues, Bruce and Tobiano (Toby) sure are an odd couple. They are complete opposites in every way. They both took their time warming up to each other and becoming a family. I lovingly refer to them as “The Adventures of Tank and Bones” on social media.

Bruce is a 5-year old Boston terrier.  

He came to us in 2013. At the time, we had a female boxer who was lonely after losing her 2 housemates, so we were on the hunt for an energetic friend for her. We found Bruce in a foster home in Pittsburgh. He had been returned (twice!) for reasons unknown but most likely due to his very dominant behavior and excessive energy. I drove 8 hours with my boxer to meet him and they connected instantly. Within moments they were playing chase and tug-of-war and curled up with each other on the long ride home. They stayed absolutely connected in play and sleep until our boxer died of pancreatic cancer last year. 

Bruce greets us at the door with 3-foot high vertical jumps and a toy in his mouth, always ready to play fetch, chase and soccer. He actually “smiles” when my three kids pick him up and snuggle him, and he loves playing non-stop. He rotates who he sleeps with each night always sneaking under the covers and snoring loudly all night.

Tobiano or “Toby” on the other hand, is a 3-year old Greyhound.

Toby came to us in 2017 from Greyhound Rescue and Rehabilitation (GRR). He is a retired racer from a track in Florida. He raced for one year under the name "You Should Be Here" before GRR rescued him and brought him to a foster family in NY.  Toby has a brother and sister who are still racing and his other brother, George, is happily retired and living in his permanent home in Florida.  

When Toby first came to us, he had never seen stairs, children, or other breeds of dogs. It has taken months and months of training and patience to teach him to be a dog, but it is a joy to watch him learn and to see his sweet personality emerge. It took hours and hours of long training sessions on the stairs, moving each foot up one at a time as he trembled in fear and we had to have a watchful eye as he would often launch himself from the top of a staircase or a retaining wall, unaware of the drop. We have had to learn how to maneuver with a creature that is longer than our own arm span (opening two doors or wiping wet paws is an unexpected struggle!). Toby is a gentle giant, easily walked by my 10-year old daughter But, with his height, his head is ALWAYS sweeping the counters, tables and stovetop for food! He still doesn't understand tug-of-war or how to sit. He will not snuggle with Bruce, but he is learning to lay down when he wants a treat, loves to play fetch and steals ice cubes with glee. He doesn't need much exercise, preferring to amble slowly down the street or lay on his bed with his feet straight up in the air (aka the dead cockroach). But when he does run at the dog park, it is an amazing sight to see. A creature of habit, he puts himself to bed upstairs every night at the same time regardless of what the rest of the house is doing.