Some residents of a popular city outside of L.A. might get lucky enough to have a little bit of Southern culture added into their neighborhood walks.
The first time people hear the distinctive vocals of Remington, the Bluetick Walker Hound, may be the first time they've ever heard anything like it in their life!
If you've never heard a hound bay before, imagine a deep bark and howl combined. It can definitely be quite startling! (I personally love the sound, so Remi has won my heart already.)
Click here for more rescue dog stories that have won my heart.
Hound dog barks, howls, and bays aren't typical noises heard when living in Southern California.
So Remi's Dads don't take the intrigued looks and long stares personally when their Southern gentleman sounds the alarms on their daily walks.
This handsome Kentuckian made his way to the West Coast through the collaboration of two rescues on opposite sides of the country.
Priceless Pets in Southern California works with a shelter in Kentucky dedicated to rescuing hound dogs.
It was through the shelter in Kentucky that Remi's Dads learned more about his past.
Remington was found wandering along the country roads of Kentucky before making his way to Southern California.
"He was in really bad shape," Remi's Dad said, "He was neutered and had [ear] notching, so they know he had owners at one point, but he was not microchipped, and no one ever came to look for him."
Shortly after bringing him home, his Dads would make more discoveries which hinted towards Remi's past.
First two hints towards Remi's past came after being diagnosed with two illnesses:
2. Hookworms, an intestinal parasite that can cause anemia, weakness, and bouts of bloody diarrhea. There are many ways dogs can become infected, but it's most commonly associated with poor living conditions.
Second round of hints towards Remi's past came from these physical markings:
3. Scars throughout Remi's body correlate with typical wounds from encounters with raccoons or other game during hunt sessions or training.
4. Notches in both of his ears match a method of visual identification commonly used by raccoon hunters.
Ear notches are basically small sections of the dog's ear flap removed in a specific shape or length and used by hunters as a theft deterrent and a way to visibly identify dogs from their hunting pack.
(This technique is also used by farmers and spay/neuter programs for stray dogs and cats.)
All hints lead to the conclusion that Remington was a hunting dog in his previous Kentucky life.
Although it has been steadily improving with newer generations, hunters haven't had the best reputation when it comes to how they treat their hunting dogs. Some hunters have been found to have little to no regard for their hunting dogs' comfort, health, and safety.
--Visual identification methods, such as ear notching and hot iron branding, are described on multiple hunting forums as being done at home and without anesthetic.
--Some hunters even admit to starving their dogs days before a hunt, believing it makes them better at hunting.
--Groups in hunter forums share home remedies to treat severe wounds their dogs may obtain during hunts. Others give advice to just let hunting dogs heal on their own...that the strongest ones will survive.
Such mistreatment of hunting dogs' is decreasing in popularity and is not practiced by the majority of hunters these days.
In fact, the majority of hunters today treat their hunting dogs like members of the family and publicly disapprove of such old school mentality. But unfortunately, it does still remain a problem in some areas of the Deep South.
Click here to learn how this adorable Bulldog teaches people about another dog problem in the U.S.
Despite the mistreatment he likely endured as a hunting dog, Remington is loving his new SoCal life and family.
While his health issues did put a damper on adjusting and caused training to take a temporary backseat, Remi is starting to make a solid comeback.
Training progress is made a little every day.
And the longer that they've been a family, the more and more of his personality starts to show.
Mixed with a bit of goofiness, a whole lot of curiosity, and just the right amount of independence, Remington is a kind-hearted boy who just wanted to be loved.
Nowadays, Remi enjoys long walks with his nose leading way, plenty of his favorite rope toys, and lounging around getting belly rubs and tight hugs.
From the first day they met him, Dads Irvin and Matt knew Remi was meant to be their dog.
"He had a very shy demeanor and a hound face that just called to us," Dad explains, "He jumped right into the car when we brought him home and felt really comfortable. We love Remi and couldn't imagine our lives without him."
Join Remi as he explores his new home in Southern California on Instagram @rompin_remi
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