Changing a name is powerful because it signifies having a new family or starting a new life. But for a dog named ZIB, it meant both, too.
ZIB used to be known as Kong, and he lived miserably in a shelter in Claremore, Oklahoma, where he spent the first few years of his life. He suffered from painful skin disease and a bad sunburn to the point that touching him was not allowed.
Thankfully, Border Collie Rescue and Rehab in Prosper, Texas, a network of volunteer foster homes, learned about him and decided to take him in. He was brought back to good health because of the organization, and he even got known as #387 on the website.
One day, Curtis Hartsell came into the picture. He fell in love with Kong the first time he heard of him. He shared that Kong’s foster mother was the one who told him about the dog and how he was the perfect match for him. Hartsell immediately checked on the dog’s profile from the website, and just a single picture was enough for him to want to be Kong’s new father.
At first, Hartsell was worried that his active lifestyle would complicate his being a father to the dog, but his instincts told him it was worth trying. He turned in his application papers and asked for daily updates about the adoption process. He was excited because he felt the dog had always been his and others were helping for their reunion.
Finally, Hartsell’s application was approved, and the moment he had been waiting for had arrived. He got to meet Kong, and from that moment, he changed his name to ZIB, inspired by a famous Soviet space dog. He said that the original ZIB was a lost dog who got sent to space for a successful flight and thought he had the same situation as Kong, who was also helped out and sent to a brighter place.
ZIB could not stop hugging his new father, as evidenced in the video below. His life became more colorful because of Hartsell, and Hartsell could not be happier he had touched a dog’s life. Before, ZIB was not receiving touches and cuddles, but now he has to be constantly petted by his father.
Video credit: Stories of Animals via Youtube