Maverick during a showing. Photo courtesy of Dan Stallings
While perusing Craiglist, Dan Stallings, founder of the Mid-Atlantic Weimaraner Rescue of Virginia Beach, VA, found an ad for a Weimaraner that Stallings said had been "abused and neglected and was in terrible shape." The dog, named Maverick, had been kept in a crate for years. When he was rescued by Stallings, he was so thin that you could see his ribs. The tip of his nose had a staph infection, his nails were too long and he had begun to chew on his own tail and paws. Stallings nursed him back to health, and now the bond between the two is unbreakable.
Within five months of nursing the lovable canine back to health, Stallings began entering him in dog shows and Maverick (AKC GCH Anson's Unforgettable) started winning. He won enough shows that he was invited to the Westminster Dog Show that was held this month in New York. When asked what he would do if Maverick won, Stallings explains, "His confirmation, conditioning, soundness, temperament and attitude were the very things most negatively affected by his prior treatment, yet he has risen above it all. If he wins, I can't even imagine. That would really tear me up. I'd be so happy for him."
As Stalling nervously watched Maverick parade with his trainer, the Weimaraner strutted proudly for the judges, but unfortunately, the judge picked another dog in the Best in Breed showing. But Stallings is fine with the outcome. He pats his chest and smiles as Maverick puts his paws up on his shoulders. "There's my boy. There's my boy. This is what it's all about, every day."
Stallings says that he is not disappointed because Maverick did not win because, in a sense, he had already won. The dog had gone from forgotten to unforgettable.