Thank You John

August 03, 2015

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I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, Terry Staley, for nearly 30 years now. Other than my dad, he was really the first man that ever showed me how you were supposed to treat a lady, he introduced me to the sweet sounds of Bob Marley and throughout my whole life he’s been a consistent positive influence for me. When I asked him to write something for the blog I had no idea it would end up being a thank you letter to me.

So when he’s not on the road with Usher, 30 Seconds to Mars or any of the many artists he works with, he’s at home with his equally awesome wife, Sarah, taking care of their 2 rescue dogs.

Thanks for this, Terry. It feels good to know I was able to contribute something to your life and giving me so much throughout the years….

Dear John, I just want to thank you for doing what you do. I promised to write something for your blog several months ago and now is the time.

Sometimes when I see what you are doing I can’t believe you have grown from the little joker you were when you were a kid. It’s been a real honor to be able to call the Flores Family friends for nearly 30 years now (YIKES! 30 years?).

When you took in Kurtis, my life changed for the better. I saw that poor little dog suffering from the abuse and neglect that a human had done to him. I cried for that poor little puppy. To see him made me ache. Seeing him made me want to hurt the people who let him get to such a sad state. It was at that time I started reading your blog regularly.

Growing up I had a Doberman Pinscher. This was in the 70’s they were the dog to fear. Thankfully they did not have the help of the internet and a media climate that reports on what sells rather than what is news. Max was the sweetest dog in the world. Your sister may remember him as he lived from the time I was 5 years old until after high school when I went into the Navy. He was well behaved and well trained and certainly well loved by his family.

On May 24rth 2014, my wife Sarah and I adopted Valentino. He is most certainly a Bully mix if not 100% Pit Bull. They say that we can have a DNA test done to determine exactly what breed he is but we would rather spend the 50 bucks on treats for him. It doesn’t matter one bit because that test won’t make us love him one bit more or less. Our decision to adopt him was thanks to the work you do to dispel any media hype that these dogs are any different than any other dog. These dogs deserve homes just like every other dog.

When we first brought him home he spent his first couple of days either worried or sleeping. Around day 3 a new puppy showed up at our house. This new puppy was a challenge. He was energetic and snappy. He growled and charged and even showed us his teeth. To be honest he scared the hell out of us for a couple of days.

Then came the call to you. Followed by a call to a trainer. Followed by a great sense of relief. When the dog instincts came out and he became overly playful and aggressive, it was you John who again saved our dog. I was distraught and could not imagine that I might fail this dog that we had adopted and saved from an animal shelter where who knows what might have happened to him. I could not take him back. Not after seeing what you were doing to save Penny and Elvis and especially Kurtis. By the next weekend we had a trainer and a plan to help us understand our new family member. In the coming months Sarah, Vale’ and I would work together to become a very happy family.

Fast forward several months. One night Sarah took Vale’ to the dog park to play with his friends. It was a cold January night in Las Vegas when she noticed a dog to big to be in the small dog section. She then also observed that there where no people with that dog. You guessed it, some scumbag humans left their dog at the park. It was late and Sarah tried to find someone who could pickup and care for this dog. No one would. She knew that if she left the dog alone in the park on that cold winter night that it would just lead to a sleepless night full of worry and probably crying (for both the dog and Sarah). Of course you can see where this is going. That was 4 months ago and Parker has become the newest addition to our family.

My wife who had only gotten her first dog less than a year earlier had the courage to effectively rescue a dog who was in need. I wasn’t even in Nevada when she did it. I am so proud of her. Of course you know all of this already because you where the first person we called for advice on adding a new dog to our pack. While Parker is still a little on the nervous side, we have been working on ways to help her et out some of her energy like walking with a backpack, or running next to my bicycle and she is doing great. Valentino and Parker are definitely best friends.

So as we approach our one year “adopt a versary” with Valentino I have to thank you John, for helping us better understand these pups. I also have to thank Valentino and Parker. Through their rescue efforts, they have helped two people develop patience, overcome fear, and create more balanced lives. They have been kind enough to show us so much love and respect and all they really ask is for the same in return.