A One-Eyed Dachshund Named Captain Morgan Has a Touching Reunion with His Foster Mom

The dog remembered who saved him and nursed him back to health. The photo went viral.

A Dachshund called Captain Morgan (so named because he has only one eye, like a pirate -- arrgh) was headed to a bad place fast. He was stuck in a high-kill shelter in Selma, AL, and his number was nearly up. He slept on a cold concrete floor. During bath time, staff sprayed him with a hose. He had heartworm, which was untreated. It looked like it wasn't going to end well. 

But Sara Cross, founder of Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue, and Eva Armstrong, one of the group's rescuers, didn't want to see that happen. The rescue works with Alabama's Wannabe Rescued to help bail dogs out of the Selma pound. The two groups do so because dogs don't stand a chance at that place. Once local foster parents in Alabama are fully tapped, Badass Brooklyn steps in to bring the dogs up north to place them in foster homes.

Badass has saved more than 800 dogs from high-kill pounds in the South. 

"We really want people to understand the urgency here," Cross told the New York Daily News. "You either take the dog or the dog gets killed the next day. There's no other option."

Captain Morgan got his ticket out in March alongside 30 other dogs that day. In New York, the group typically fosters out the dogs, but Captain Morgan was a special case -- he had heartworm. He needed treatment. Armstrong let the one-eyed dog stay with her while he got healthy, and Cappy (short for Captain Morgan) jumped right in. Bonding, as they say, took place. 

Cappy slept in Armstrong's bed. They watched TV. They took walks. The dog learned how to be a happy puppy to a loving caretaker, and Armstrong's kindness made a big impression on the little dog. After he was adopted to a couple in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Cappy didn't forget his rescuer. When the two were reunited earlier this month at one of Badass Brooklyn's block parties, Cappy spotted Armstrong from a distance, ran over, and leapt into her arms. 

Photographer Hilary Benas caught the embrace at the perfect time. The photo went viral. You can see why: 

"It's great that he found a home right here in Park Slope," Armstrong said. "When he sees me, he goes nuts."

Cross told the told the Huffington Post that she see this a lot: "Whenever any of us run into dogs that we have fostered or rescued, they always recognize us and are so excited to see us. Dogs remember the person who saved their life and helped them on their way to a forever home."

If you would like to help facilitate more happy reunions like this one, you can donate to Badass Brooklyn via its Facebook page and website.

"Cappy would not be alive were it not for a small group of dedicated volunteers in Selma, Alabama," Cross told the Daily Mail. "We would not even know these dogs exist, let alone be able to rescue them, if it were not for amazing volunteers."

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Michael Vick's Former Dogs Meet in a Touching Reunion

Six families who adopted dogs meet at a Utah rescue group, sharing stories of recovery.

Michael Vick has been in the news quite recently, showing up at PetSmart to train his puppy and getting his book tour canceled by angry dog lovers. Though it remains to be seen whether anything positive comes from the anger, one group involved with Vick appears to be feeling just fine.  

His former dogs. 

This week, six families who adopted "Vicktory dogs" (so-named after being resuced from the dog-fighting operation) met at Best Friends' Animal Society of Kanab, UT, to mark five years of freedom. 

“The Vicktory Dogs, the dogs from Michael Vick’s kennel, really helped us truly understand that all dogs are individuals,” Judah Batista, the facility’s director of animal care, told Fox 13 News. “To convict the dogs based on their owners is an incredibly unfair thing to do.”

The dogs arrived from Vick's Bad Newz Kennels battered and bruised in 2008, and as they regained their health they were slowly adopted out. The families kept in touch throughout the years, but never met -- until now. 

"It feels like as much of a growing and healing occasion for the people as much as it does the dogs," Richard Hunter, who owns a Vicktory dog named Mel, told ABC News.

Paul, who owns Cherry Garcia, said, "It's been amazing. We're all staying in the same place -- so we have six ex-fighting Pit Bulls staying in the same place -- and you'd never know that these dogs were born, bred, and trained to fight; the furthest thing on their mind is fighting."

The families spent the weekend together at the sanctuary, and the dogs -- Cherry, Handsome Dan, Halle, Little Red, Mel, and Oscar -- got along great.

"They have just had such a great time together. The families have had such a great time meeting in person," said Paul. "Really, to come together as one big family has been a magical moment."

On Monday, the group invited the public to visit the dogs, and more than 150 people showed up. One by one, the families took the stage and related stories about how their dogs came out of their shells, changing from the shy and shutdown animals they were. 

“We want to show the world that they can become adoptable; we want to show the world that they can become normal dogs and be positive influences in their community,” Paul said.

Watch a video of the event: 

Via ABC

Read more about Michael Vick and BSL:

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