Pit Bull Refuses To Leave Shelter With Man, Shelter Does This

Always Playing

Merrill loves running and rolling on the grass in the family’s yard. Being a young adult means that she is extremely energetic and active. But for Taco, she’s hard to keep up with, so the kids carry him to wherever Merril is playing. 

As time passed, the family began to uncover just how incredible their bond was.

Online Sensations

To the delight of everyone who followed their story posted initially by the shelter, the family decided to create social media accounts for the doggos and keep the internet updated with their daily lives.

Their Facebook page is called ‘Merrill & Taco’. And they’ve already gained a huge following!

Together Forever

People love to see what Merril and Taco get up to. Whether napping in hilarious positions, sitting side-by-side, displaying their unique bond, or going on walks together, their pictures always receive a tonne of love and support. 

Seeing them happy together after all they’ve been through is a real tear-jerker! But another man named Antony would be brought to tears when he found out the truth about the dog he had adopted from a shelter.

Wondering What To Do 

No matter how hard he tried, Antony didn’t seem to click with the dog. He was just about to give up on the idea of keeping ‘Reggie.’ 

He had just decided to take him back to the shelter when he stumbled across something. And it was something that would change his life forever. 

Looking Inside The Box 

Antony remembered the old box the shelter had given him. Maybe there was something inside that would help. 

He quickly grabbed the box and shuffled through the tattered items – an old sleeping pad, some dirty toys, and a sealed letter from the previous owner. What was inside this letter? Antony wondered. He had no idea what was coming. 

Reading The Letter 

Antony picked up the crisp letter and held it close to his chest. ‘Reggie’ turned and looked at Antony, his big brown eyes pulling at his heartstrings. 

Antony hoped there was some useful advice inside the letter. But he could never have expected to find what he did. 

Not What He Expected

“If you’re reading this, it means I just got back from my last car ride with my Lab after dropping him off at the shelter,” the letter read.   

“He knew something was different. So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes that it will help you bond with him and he with you.”  

Relief 

Relief washed over Antony as he continued to read the letter. This was exactly what he needed. Maybe their relationship could be salvaged? 

He discovered that ‘Reggie’ loved playing with tennis balls and often tried to hoard them in his mouth. But as Antony continued reading more of the letter, he came across a warning.

Playing With The Ball

“It doesn’t matter where you throw the balls. He’ll bounce after it, so be careful — really don’t do it by any roads. I made that mistake once, and it almost cost him dearly.”

Antony picked up one of the worn, green balls. Reggie jumped up, tail wagging. It was the first sign of real energy. But Antony had no idea things were about to get even more strange.

Teaching Him Tricks

The sleeping pad worked too, and he snuggled in. There was also useful information about past training techniques. “He knows ‘ball’ and ‘food’ and ‘bone’ and ‘treat’ like nobody’s business.” 

“I trained Reggie with small food treats,” the letter continued, “Nothing opens his ears like little pieces of hot dog.” But the next piece of advice that Antony read hit hard.

A Heartbreaking Revelation

“Finally, give him some time. I’ve never been married, so it’s only been Reggie and me for his whole life,” the letter continued. 

“He’s gone everywhere with me, so please include him on your daily car rides if you can. It will be hard. And that’s why I need to share one more bit of info with you.” Antony was not expecting what the owner would say next.

Not His Name

“I don’t know what made me do it, but when I dropped him off at the shelter, I told them his name was Reggie,” the letter continued.

“He’s a smart dog; he’ll get used to it and respond to it. I have no doubt of that, but I just couldn’t bear to give them his real name.” The letter then revealed why.

Too Final

“For me to do that, it seemed so final that handing him over to the shelter was as good as me admitting that I’d never see him again,” the previous owner confessed. 

“And if I end up coming back, getting him, and tearing up this letter, it means everything’s fine. But if someone else is reading it, well…” 

His Real Name

“His name’s not Reggie. His real name is Tank. Because that is what I drive,” the letter revealed. Anthony’s eyes widened. It turns out that the previous owner was a soldier deployed to Iraq. 

Antony was lost for words at the truth. But the situation with the soldier and his dog was about to get even more heartbreaking.

One Request

“I told the shelter that they couldn’t make “Reggie” available for adoption until they received word from my company commander. See, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could’ve left Tank with,” the letter continued.

 “… it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter … in the “event”… to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption.” 

Making Good On His Word

“Luckily, my colonel is a dog guy, too, and he knew where my platoon was headed. He said he’d do it personally. And if you’re reading this, then he made good on his word,” Antony read.

“Well, this letter is getting too downright depressing, even though I’m just writing it for my dog.”

His Only Family

“I couldn’t imagine if I was writing it for a wife and kids and family. But still, Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long as the Army has been my family.”

“And now I hope and pray that you make him part of your family and that he will adjust and come to love you the same way he loved me.”

To Serve And Protect

“That unconditional love from a dog is what I took with me to Iraq as an inspiration to do something selfless, to protect innocent people from those who would do terrible things … and to keep those terrible people from coming over here,” the soldier wrote.

“If I had to give up Tank in order to do it, I am glad to have done so. He was my example of service and of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.”

The Weight Of His Words

“All right, that’s enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter off at the shelter. I don’t think I’ll say another goodbye to Tank, though,” the letter continued. 

“I cried too much the first time. Maybe I’ll peek in on him and see if he finally got that third tennis ball in his mouth.”

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.