Tale of a lucky dog

Jenny Gener, veterinary technician, nursed Sid under the care of Dr. Jeffrey Patlogar, medical director at the Emergency Pet Clinic of San Gabriel Valley. Patlogar is one of the rescuers who helped Sid on his journey from an abandoned junkyard in El Monte to Burbank and then to his “forever home” in Long Beach.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Rick Browde, a retired record producer and an animal rescuer, is surrounded by adopted pets and foster dogs at home in Beverly Hills. When he first met Sid, he thought, “Who is going to want a dog that looks like this?” Then he began working the phones.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Dr. Jeffrey Patlogar, medical director of the Inland Valley Emergency Pet Clinic in Upland, plays with a Pomeranian after treating its broken leg. Patlogar’s practice is filled with many such “projects.” The Pomeranian puppy was abandoned by an owner who didn’t want to pay the vet bill. Patlogar decided he would find the puppy a home. He was one of the rescuers who helped Sid.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Caroline Pespisa plays with her German shepherd, Maxx, at home. Pespisa scans local shelters for German shepherds and other breeds, and helps channel them to local rescues out of the city pounds. She is not just dedicated to dogs. On weekends, she helps catch feral cats and has them neutered and then re-releases them. She is an all-around animal lover. Browde contacted her about Sid, and then she came to see him. She said she knew she had to do quite the sell job to persuade the rescue to take him, but she convinced them that the old guy needed a home.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Bethany Wilson, an animal behaviorist and actress, helps Jeremy Evans, lead volunteer at the volunteer-run German Shepherd Rescue who’s also a cinematographer and photographer, implant a microchip into Pacino at the shelter in Burbank. Wilson and Evans volunteer at the shelter each weekend. The work is not glamorous. They wash dogs, walk them, train them in the basics, clean up after them and try to get them adopted. Part of the struggle is that so many people come in wanting “perfect” dogs. But there are few such dogs in a shelter. It can be heartbreaking, they say, to see people come in and give a dog the once-over, and then walk away because the dog may have some flaws. Also, the dogs are so excited to see people on the weekends that they are bouncing off the walls. This can turn off prospective owners as well. The volunteers do their best to evaluate the dogs and then “sell” them to potential homes. Often, they put their own money on the line.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Wilson kisses Gracie while helping give the dogs their identification chips.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Evans plays with Roxy, now named Leica, whom Evans recently adopted from German Shepherd Rescue. Evans took one look at Sid and wondered, “Is anyone going to adopt this guy?” He struggles to maintain a balanced mix among the 20 or so dogs at the rescue. He needs lots of young, healthy, pretty dogs, which will be adopted in a matter of days, to help cover the costs of keeping older dogs that can take months if not years to find a forever home. Evans said he feels as though he’s sentencing a dog to death when he declines to accept it into the shelter.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

This dog is named Timber because one of his ear juts out from the side of his head at a nearly 90-degree angle. It reminded his owner of a tree falling in the wilderness. His owner died of cancer, leaving Timber without a home. Timber has been at the German Shepherd Rescue for more than a year, even though he is a healthy, happy, friendly dog. Because he does not look “perfect,” he gets passed over again and again.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Rambo is taken back to the Burbank rescue to visit a few of his caretakers and people that helped save his life and get him adopted. Rambo, who is missing part of an ear, is healthy and happy living in his “forever home.”  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Rene Lynch, left, brought Rambo to German Shepherd Rescue to show his rescuers his progress. Volunteers Jeremy Evans, clockwise from lower left, Felicia Tweedy, D.J. Lynch, Diane Dawson, Dan Selin, Bethany Wilson and Ric Browde reunited with Rambo. Dawson was Rambo’s single favorite person at the rescue. He whimpered when he had to leave her on the day that he was adopted, and he was especially happy to see her again.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Rambo guards the front door of his new home. He likes to sleep inside the front door so that he’s positioned to bark at the mailman when he walks up on the front steps.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)