Happy New Year to our Roscoe’s friends and family! Our first featured friend of 2024 is Leon, a 4 year old American Pitbull Terrier Mix with a story so miraculous that it is guaranteed to tug at your heart strings. A rescue pup from Louisiana, Leon has been a part of the Roscoe’s family since December 2022. He is a model citizen in our VIP program and we can’t wait to tell you all about him!
In October 2022, the family lost their previous pittie and were looking for a new dog to bring into their now achingly empty home. Leon’s mom reached out to a Massachusetts rescue to see if they had a good fit for their family and they mentioned a sweet boy in Louisiana who had been found 1 year prior. Unable to use his back legs, Leon had dragged himself to a local business after seemingly being hit by a car. A vet determined that he had broken his spine which required surgery and he would need to re-learn how to walk. To top it all off, Leon also tested positive for heartworm around this time. As if the poor guy hadn’t been through enough already!
After doing a virtual meet and greet, Leon’s would-be parents knew that he was meant to be a part of their family. A transport van brought him up to Portland for his new family to finally meet him in person! For the first few days in his new home, Leon spent his time snoozing away on the couch. On the third day, he did zoomies all over the house so he was clearly settling in nicely! His parents knew he truly felt at home when he finally followed them upstairs for bed on his own (before that, they had to try and coax him off the couch or carry him).
Now a year after finding his forever home, Leon’s favorite pastimes include sunbathing, playing with his rubber squeaky stick, sticking his nose out the window in the car to get all the good sniffs, and watching football on Sundays. His parents have many nicknames for him; Boogs because he seems to always have some sort of eye boogie, Scoots because he scoots forward instead of sitting and staying while waiting for his meals, and Squeaks because of the cute squeaky sounds he makes when he yawns.
His mom says that while he was being treated for heartworm he couldn’t participate in any high energy activities with the other pups at the rescue and had to be crated separately, so it’s understandable that he can get a little bit overstimulated in a larger playgroup setting. However, this makes Leon the perfect candidate for our VIP Program because the smaller playgroups help him feel comfortable enough to play with one or two other friends to his heart’s content, but also not get overwhelmed.
If you’re interested in following Leon’s adventures, he’s on Instagram @Leon_the_lion_pup. Special thanks to Leon’s mom Lindsay for sharing his story and all about his unique personality with us! Cheers to a happy and healthy new year from all of us at Roscoe’s!
Testimonials
“I always look forward to seeing Leon! I could not believe that he ever sustained such a serious injury, especially one that left his back legs paralyzed. He plays hard, runs hard, and has a lot of love to give. He’s always the life of the party in his groups and makes VIP such a fun time!” – Izaak, Playgroup Supervisor/Operations Coordinator
“Leon is such a special soul. I don’t think anyone can see him and not immediately smile. He’s such a goofy, happy boy who is such a joy to have as part of our Roscoe’s family!” – Kelli, General Manager
“Leon’s energy and positive attitude is absolutely infectious! His ear to ear grin is so charming. and his backstory always amazes and inspires me. Its such a pleasure to care for sweet Leon.” – Elizabeth, Manager