Alamo’s Story
- FERAL CAT WARRIORS
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
This guest blog was written to us by a Good Samaritan who, along with her husband, rescued a dog in desperate need of help. After hearing Alamo’s story and the heartbreaking journey that followed, Feral Cat Warriors has stepped in to continue his care and ensure he finds the forever home he truly deserves.
On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, my friend Cindy was driving down Alamo Road in Yucca, AZ, on her way to the mountains to walk my dog Bullet. She noticed something on the side of the road and pulled over. There she found a dog that was so weak it couldn’t stand or sit up.
Cindy called me right away and told me to come quickly. My husband and I got into our Jeep and drove out to meet her. When we arrived, we saw Cindy sitting in the wash, holding the dog in her lap. She had wrapped him in a blanket from her car and given him some water as he was very thirsty.
My husband gently lifted the dog and placed him on my lap in the back seat. As we drove, we called Dr. Wright to let her know we were on our way with what we believed was a dog that had been hit by a car. He had lacerations on both sides of his face.
As we were on our way to the vet, I noticed the pads on his front feet were totally gone and bloody. Dr. Wright immediately took him back for examination.
She found multiple contusions, abrasions, and trauma to the face and nose. He was severely anemic and dehydrated. She treated him with fluids and antibiotics, cleaned and wrapped his paws, and gave us pain medication for him.
At home, he slept in a spare bedroom where he could rest and heal. During the day, we let him spend time with our lab mix, Bullet. We also cleaned and rewrapped his paws twice a day.
We fed him high-protein dog food to help raise his blood count. Through a Facebook post, we were able to locate his owner. After explaining what had happened and sharing the details of the substantial vet bill, the owner told us we could keep the dog if we wanted. We knew that giving him a new home was the best choice for this poor dog who deserved a second chance at life.
We named him Alamo.
By March 13, Alamo was strong enough to return to the vet for follow-up care. He was fixed, had a couple of cracked teeth removed, received all his vaccinations, and was microchipped. At his next appointment on the 27th, he also received a rattlesnake vaccine. We then registered him with AKC Reunite.
We sent Alamo’s DNA to Embark for analysis and requested an age test. The results showed he is 20.6% Plott Hound, a rare hunting breed recognized as the state dog of North Carolina. His estimated age was 2 years and 2 months, with an approximate birth date of March 3, 2023.
We were a little worried about how Alamo would react to our cat, who comes and goes between indoors and outdoors. To be safe, we introduced them slowly. I held the cat in my arms while letting Alamo sniff and get used to him. It didn’t take long before the two of them became best buddies.
We enrolled Alamo in training sessions with Roy at K9 Advantage, and he made good progress during the first three classes.
Unfortunately, my husband became ill, and most of my time and energy had to go into caring for him. I couldn’t continue working with Alamo the way I had hoped.
Alamo is a typical coonhound who loves to run and jump—when he leaps, it’s like he has springs in his legs. We had started setting up a fenced-in area for an agility course, but in early August my husband was admitted to the ICU, and that project had to be put on hold.
When left alone, even for just a few minutes, Alamo can sometimes get into trouble. He has a special love for pillows and paper—once shredding a magazine after being alone for only ten minutes. He has also torn up throw rugs. I believe this behavior comes from boredom. He has plenty of toys, like Nylabones, Kongs, and even frozen raw femur bones from Smith’s. We do have a large crate, which he is comfortable in, but we’ve never left him crated for long periods. Because of this, whenever I need to go somewhere, I arrange for a dog sitter.
On September 1, my husband passed away. Living alone now on 40 acres off-grid, I’ve had to face the difficult truth that I cannot give Alamo the life he truly deserves. He’s a coonhound at heart—he needs space to run, hunt, and play, doing the things his breed was made to do. As much as I love him, I know I have to make the decision that’s best for him.
Alamo has already been through so much. I’m certain he experienced abuse in his past, based on how he reacts to certain movements and sounds. I also know he once lived in a hole underground with his brothers and sisters. Most of the time, he is the sweetest, most well-behaved dog. It’s only in those few unsupervised moments that his wild side shows through.
I hope Alamo finds a loving home where he can be happy, healthy, and live the active life he was meant for.
Today, Alamo is in the care of Feral Cat Warriors, where he is safe, loved, and supported on his continued journey. Our mission is to honor the kindness of his rescuers and make sure Alamo’s story ends with the happy, forever family he deserves.
