Meet Loek

I met Loek in 2011. His name was Luca at the time. I just moved house and I explicitly asked the landlord if I could have a pet before I moved in. I had lived in house shares and student housing up until that point and I was never able to get a proper pet. I did have rats for a while, though. Bless them.

It was June 2011 when I found Luca online on a website called ikzoekbaas.nl. It's a great website to look for pets who live in shelters all across the Netherlands, where I lived at the time. I was always very fond of bull terrier and I was desperate to find one, but I really wanted to adopt one from a shelter and not get one from a breeder. Not just because I couldn't afford a full breed puppy, but mainly because I think it is our responsibility as humans to take care of man's best friend and they shouldn't be living in shelters. Occasionally I found a bull terrier on the website and organised a visit. Unfortunately, up until this point I hadn't found a match yet. Until there was Luca.

Luca was a little over 1 year old and he lived in a shelter in Heerlen, approximately 115 miles (185 km) from where I lived. His bio on the website wasn't great. They didn't seem to know much about Luca and the little they did know wasn't that great. He wasn't very good with cats. Nor with children. He didn't like to go for a walk, play fetch, or even be petted. I was intrigued. There was a number I called and I arranged to meet Luca on Thursday.

A trip by train from Utrecht to Heerlen takes a little more than two hours. When I arrived in Heerlen I still had to find the shelter and these are never in the middle of town. I had to wait for a bus that brought me to the edge of a forest just outside the city where the animal shelter was. I must admit I can't remember much about the shelter and people I met there. I vaguely remember a waiting room and the desk where I had to read some forms. I remember feeling this place was a bit gloomy. And this was just the waiting room. I haven't even seen the dogs yet. If you have never visited an animal shelter then it's probably hard to imagine, but there is great sadness you can feel from all those animals in need of a new home. Something I already felt before I was brought to the back to meet my new best friend.

Luca was barking, just like all the other dogs were. He was in a shelter on his own, because I was told he wasn't great with other dogs. He also had some injuries, which was why they kept him in a private kennel. He had a collar on with spikes, that really gave him that aggressive look you would expect from a bull terrier. The woman volunteer put his leash on and gave it to me. We walked back to the waiting room, but Luca was reluctant to come with me. It seemed as if he didn't really understand how a leash worked and he tried to break free. The woman explained that they occasionally walked him, but he never really wanted to come with. She also told me that it seemed to her that he didn't have much experience walking on a leash and that he would get tired quickly. She was definitely not a sales person, but I admired her honesty.

We were on a patch of grass just outside the animal shelter when Luca tried to go back. He stopped and made it clear that he was not in the mood for a walk. I was allowed to take his leash off as long as I stayed on this patch of grass, so that's what I did. I was hoping he would be interested in playing fetch with a ball or a stick. The woman told me he wouldn't, so I decided to sit down next to him first and pet him. I wanted him to relax. He was constantly looking away and he was panting, which meant he was scared or nervous. I decided to sit there for a bit, until he stopped panting or would be a little more relaxed. He didn't walk away, which was a good start. After a while, I picked up a stick and threw it in front of him. He chased it and picked it up. I didn't realise the woman from the shelter was looking at me and she exclaimed something in surprise. I was actually quite surprised myself. We repeated this a few times until he was no longer interested. I still wanted to have a proper walk with him and I was hoping, now he was a little more relaxed, that we would go with me. I put his lead back on and we went for a little walk. Luca was constantly walking behind me, resisting, and I had to pull him occasionally. With mixed emotions I walked back to the shelter.

Luca was brought back to his kennel and I was given the forms again. Most of them were about what it means to adopt a dog, what it costs and how it works. There was also a little more information on Luca. His former owners had to fill in a questionnaire when they admitted him to the shelter. Apparently they had two other dogs when they put Luca up for adoption. One of the other dogs was a puppy. There was a little text about why they decided to give Luca up, but it didn't make much sense to me. They had a dog, then they got Luca and now they had a third dog, a puppy, and they decided to give Luca up. These dogs cost close to a 1000 euro if they come from a breeder and based on Luca's bio he did come from a breeder. As a matter of fact, a breeder who lived 5 miles from the place where I grew up. My dad is a vet and I was pretty sure he would know this breeder. I asked the woman if she knew why the former owners gave him up. She told me that family only kept fighting dogs. It seemed that Luca wasn't the right kind of fighting dog and that's why they gave him up. It's actually a common misconception that Bull Terriers are good fighting dogs. Sure, they are bred as fighting dogs and they have a strong physique, but their defensive nature and friendly character have always made them weak when it comes to dog fights. Now dog fighting is not legal in the Netherlands, so I don't know why this family wanted fighting dogs at all, but it was clear that Luca was not a very good one. In his bio, the owners described that he didn't listen very well and it also contained some disturbing things about how they corrected him. It involved a lot of shouting and kicking. His injuries seemed to be proof of that.

I made a very tough decision to not take Luca home with me. Sure, I did feel very sorry for him, but it seemed like he was very troubled and I needed to think about this at least before making a decision. I had a big knot in my stomach and I felt very bad about it, but my gut told me to not adopt this poor little dog. I decided to walk back to the centre of Heerlen rather than taking the bus. It was quite a long walk, but it gave me some time to think. I called my dad and asked him about the breeder. He knew them and they seemed legit. He also told me I absolutely should not adopt a bull terrier and I should look into other breeds.

I can't remember much from the train ride home or the day that followed. All I can remember is a lot of regret. I was thinking about Luca a lot and how we was still there in that shelter surrounded by all these barking dogs, probably panting and unhappy. Sure, he probably has problems and needs to learn a lot, but why shouldn't I take that challenge on. I grew up with dogs. I know how to train them. I know how to connect with them. Whatever is wrong with him, I should be able to fix it. Or at least I should try. And my father is a vet. He should be able to help for sure, if he can get used to the idea of me adopting him. I called the shelter again and I made another appointment. They seemed very surprised.

It's Saturday and I find myself on the train to Heerlen again. My aunt is celebrating her 70th birthday today in my parent's back yard. But before I go there, I need to go to Heerlen and adopt Luca. I'm sure about it this time. I will not leave him in that shelter again. When I finally arrive at the shelter I get the same forms to read and I wait. This time I'm not brought to the back, but a woman went to fetch Luca for me. It seemed to me that he was sort of happy to see me, but it could be that I imagined it. I took the leash and we went for a walk again. Not much had changed. He still didn't really like to walk. I brought a harness this time and I put it on him. I attached the leash to the harness and tried to walk with him again. He was less reluctant, but it still wasn't a big success. How am I ever getting this dog back home, I thought. On the small patch of grass I released him and I got a ball out of my pocket. Luca was curious. This is the first time we really made eye contact. I looked at him and showed him the ball. His crooked tail started to wiggle a bit. I hadn't noticed the sharp bent in his tail before. It seemed like it was broken. Poor Luca. I threw the ball and he actually chased it. So much for not playing fetch. We repeated this a a few times until I realised I should really get back.

I filled in the paperwork and Luca was mine. I had to read his bio again, sign some papers and pay for the adoption and then I got to take him with me. I chatted a bit with the people at the shelter, exchanged information and then I left. I was standing at the edge of a forest in a strange city with a dog that doesn't know me and doesn't really seem to like me. Now, I have to get him on a bus and go to my parent's house to have him checked and celebrate my aunt's birthday.

When the bus arrived I got onto the bus, but Luca didn't. He looked at me and he refused to go on. It seemed as if he thought the step was too high. I wanted to pick him up, but he wouldn't let me. A low deep growl warned me not to touch me. Easy now. I looked like a fool, but I sure wasn't going to walk him all the way to the station. I was pretty sure he didn't feel like walking either. After some pleading and pulling Luca got on and I got to my seat. I chose to sit all the way in the back of the bus, so Luca wouldn't be in anybody's way. He sat down panting and trembling. When we arrived at the station, we got off the bus together, which was a lot easier this time. I had to buy him a ticket, so I decided to tie his belt to a bench and walk to the machine. I didn't lose sight of him for a second and I was only a few feet away from him. When I got back from the ticket machine, Luca was standing on the bench. He basically said, "I'm the alpha here." I tried to get him off the bench, but he refused to listen. Every time I touched him he growled, so I decided to sit next to him and show him that I wasn't scared. I was, but I wasn't going to show him that.

The train arrived and we had to get on. I remembered how he refused to get on the bus so I figured this wasn't going to be easy. It was busy, there were a lot of people and the step to get on the train was pretty high. I crouched next to Luca and encouraged him to follow me on the train. Then something terrible happened. He listened, which was great, but he pulled the lead and followed the other people who were getting on the train. Then he misjudged the high step and feel into the gap between the train and platform. My heart stopped. Luca was hanging on the lead with his paws holding on to the platform. I wanted to run to him and rescue him, but I didn't want to let go of the line and let him fall on the tracks. The people in the doorway of the train were just looking at me and Luca. Nobody was doing something. I called for help. The people who were standing near the other doors of the train came to the rescue. I asked someone to take the lead and two men pulled the lead while I helped Luca out of the gap. He was shaking. I was crying. The conductor blew his whistle and we quickly got on the train. I had picked Luca up, someone else had taken my bag and we sat down on a bench. I had put Luca on my lap and my bag was set next to me. Only now did I realise that I had touched and picked him up and that he hadn't growled. He sat on my lap, he looked at me, and with every mile that slid by, he became more and more calm. It seemed as if we had just forged a relationship of trust. He knew he could trust me and I knew that I would love him forever.

I had to break the news to my parents. I couldn't just arrive at the party with the dog without them knowing about it, so I decided to call my mum and tell them I was on my way and I was bringing a guest. She was going to tell dad, he was going to be mad and by the time I would arrive he would have already gotten used to the idea, a little bit. My mum came to collect me from the station and she had put a dog bench in the back of the car. I put Luca in the bench and I sat down next to my mum. He panted and squeaked all the way home. After we arrived at my parent's house and my dad gave me some disapproving comments, he did a proper check. It appeared that Luca had scabies on his nose, his tail was broken and his hip was bruised. My father gave him some remedies for the pain and something to calm him down. It was best now to leave him alone in the kennel. In the meantime, my mum had prepared his passport. I looked at it and asked: 'Can we change his name?'. 'Are you sure?', she asked. Of course, he would respond better to his own name. He would know the sound of it. But I wanted a new life for him. We needed a clean slate and forget about his past and that abusive family that caused him all this pain. I decided to just get rid of the 'A'. He will lose his balls tomorrow. Today, he will just lose the letter A. Luc, or in perfect Dutch spelling Loek.

That evening I took him out of the kennel. He seemed more calm and more happy. I couldn't bare the idea of him spending the night in this place. I wanted him right by my side. I prepared a bed for him in my bedroom, so I could watch him all night and he wouldn't be alone. I brought him back to the house and we walked up the stairs. He didn't like to be picked up, so I let him climb the stairs himself. When we finally got upstairs I showed him the bed I made for him. It was just one or two blankets on the old couch that was next to the bed. He climbed on top of it and I petted him. Then I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready for bed. When I got back from the bathroom, Loek was no longer in his bed. Instead, he was standing on top of my bed. I wanted to get him off, but he started growling. It was a very low and deep growl. If you have never heard a bull terrier growl before, I advise you to look it up. It's deepest growl I ever heard. I know I shouldn't show him that I was scared, but I was. Besides, I knew he was only growling out of fear. Well, he wanted to be alpha too, but I'm pretty sure most of it was fear. Luckily, my parents have a big place so I decided to sleep in the next room. I wasn't going to win this fight and I wasn't going to make him even more scared. Plus, I didn't want him to bite me.

It was the middle of the night and I couldn't sleep. Loek was in the next room. Was I really going to let him sleep in my bed and make me feel like such a fool? Certainly not. I couldn't just let him walk right over me. Sure, Loek had to get used to his new life and this was a pretty tough day for him. However, I couldn't give him the feeling that he was the alpha at the very beginning of our relationship. I am the alpha. I decided to go back to the other bedroom. I listened at the door. I heard nothing. It seemed as if Loek was sleeping. I opened the door, I immediately turned on the light and saw that Loek was startled. I jerked the blankets out from under Loek and pulled him, blanket and all, off the bed. I turned the light off again and jumped into bed under the covers. Loek stood next to the bed and looked at me confused. I looked straight into his eyes. I won friend. I'm the boss, not you. I let him get used to the idea for a moment. Then I relaxed and lay down, ready to sleep. What a day. I closed my eyes. I hear Loek clambering a bit. At first I thought he was climbing on the couch but then I felt him lying against my leg. He sighed and then he got comfortable. He seemed to be breathing calmly. There we lay. Together. And from that moment on, inseparable. A love blossomed just then and I had found a friend for life.