"Nico's Happy Wagging Tale"

   "America's Dog"

  I was so excited when the email came over that asked if I still wanted to go to Indiana to visit our Paws Pack boy #19, Nico Swangarris, the now famous rescued and adopted deaf, Dogo Argentino.  I couldn't believe that I was really going to meet this special boy in person but thanks to the generous donation of a plane ticket from our friends at the Golden Gate Basset Rescue this wish was coming true. I was going to spend a long weekend with Nico and his family in Indy and couldn't wait to meet them.

    "The Happy Family"

***Photo courtesy of Shirley Ann Photography

  Nico's Mom, Bridget met me at the airport and off we went to meet this amazing dog I only knew from painting his portrait, his DFTP project story and all the time I have spent "talking" to Nico on his fan page. He is brother to Brisby (a Pittie/Dalmation mix, they call the "Hot Mess" who is also deaf) as well as Mia and Max the cats. His Moms, Bridget and Melissa are wonderful and I could tell from all our chats on the phone and thru emails, that they are huge animal lovers and supporters of helping shelter pets and because of Nico being a Dogo Argentino they are especially passionate about bully breeds. They are so loving and dedicated to Nico and Brisby who were both adopted from the Humane Society of Hamilton County. They help  promote and support HSHC by attending events sponsored by them throughout the year.  Nico has a huge network of fans from the shelter including their Executive Director, Rebecca Stevens and during my visit we were given a complete behind the scenes tour of the entire facility and all it's residents. They care for so many animals but each one is cared for daily and loved on all the time. They are very resourceful and have a huge volunteer group that makes sure every dog and cat is either walked or visited with everyday.  They also have the most unqiue cat room, complete with recycled reptile enclosures with different tiers for the cats to hang out on. The World needs more shelters like HSHC and Rebecca Stevens who really are making a difference in the lives of  homeless pets.

  As we walked into the house Bridget said I would meet Nico first then they would bring Brisby in because she gets a little crazy with new people. Brisby runs up to you and growls but in just a little while she is your best friend. I walked into the house and followed them to the living room and looking straight at me laying on the end of the couch was NICO!!! He came up, tail wagging and sniffed and seemed to be alright with me as we said our "Hellos". He is much taller and bigger than the "virtual Nico" but so much better in person. They let Brisby out and she ran around and growled but they said that is how she greets people. I couldn't take my eyes off of Nico. His beautiful white coat is scarred here and there from his past life as a fighting dog most likely and a couple of surgeries he has had to remove tumors from his continuing fight with cancer.

   He has the biggest, most handsome block head and beautiful pink gums which show off his filed down teeth, another trait of fighting and bait dogs. His now famous eyes, one the palest blue and the other a hazel color that in the sunlight glows looked me over and he just let me sit by him and pet him. He didn't bark or make a sound he just looked at me and we connected. The most amazing thing about Nico is, even through all of his life's journey from abuse and probably being a fighting dog, living on the streets, being transported across the country and ending up in Indiana...his tail still wags. It wags when he sees you, when he sees others and when his Moms look at him and "speak" to him thru his vibration collar that tail is always going. Bridget and Melissa communicate with both Nico and Brisby thru the use of vibration collars that they were trained on by their friends at Invisible Fence. It is not a shock collar, just vibrates like a tickle. They control and communicate with hand signals too. It's really fascinating to watch them interact with the dogs and how smart and well trained Nico and Brisby are.  Melissa does this cute thumbs up signal when the dogs do something right and I found myself doing it to my dogs when I got home.

    Brisby has the palest ice blue eyes...

     Nico loves to lay outside in the yard but he can't be in the sun a lot  due to the cancer on his ear.

In Indiana, Nico is known far and wide from his numerous TV and local pet event appearances. When Bridget and Melissa adopted him, HSHC had given him a red collar and a blue name tag and since he is all white he was dubbed "America's Dog" by all his fans and friends. They call him the "Ambassador for Bully Breeds".  Did you know that "Nico" means Victory of  the People and he has had quite an amazing life victory so far. Coming from the streets and a shelter in LA, having his well known picture taken in the shelter that went viral across Facebook and social media to his huge transport across the country to be rehabilitated and trained at HSHC and Invisible Fence to being a loving and happy family member of the Swangarris Pack. Life couldn't be any better except now once again cancer has reared it's ugly head and Nico is currently fighting the for his life. He has 4 cancers in his body and 1 of them is very aggressive so he needs constant care and medication to keep him comfortable. The cancer on his ear is not aggressive but it just an annoyance that he wants to rub and scratch all the time. So Bridget and Melissa have to bathe him regularly  and keep his ear cleaned and medicated daily. Brisby is only about a year and half so is all puppy and loves to play and start stuff with Nico too. So they lead a busy life caring for the dogs and the cats who are both happy healthy kitties.

  I hope you have enjoyed my recap of this special trip to visit Nico and his family.  Along with Indiana and the US, Bridget mentioned he has tons of fans from Austrailia too, so the "Rock Star" is loved and adored across the World. And why wouldn't he? Nico is love. Keep waggin' your tail buddy....

 If you would like to read more about Nico, Send him a WOOF, buy a cool Nico tee from his Zazzle Shop,  make a donation to his medical costs, or just hang out with him on his Facebook Fan page click the links below...


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nico-Swangarris/225531097488119


http://www.zazzle.com/Niconation


http://nicosfund.chipin.com/nicos-cancer-treatments