This is the story of my best friend and buddy, Taco.

Taco came to us from a shelter in rural Manning South Carolina. Passion 4 Paws randomly came across his picture on the shelter site saying his time is up and he needed to be gone in a hour or he would be euthanized. Robin Shover (Passion 4 Paws’President and Founder) called the shelter about Taco. She was told that he was being adopted by couple who was coming to pick him up. However when 20 minutes were left and he was still posted. She called again and was told the couple decided to not take him!

Thankfully she saved him and soon Taco was in Vermont. Keep in mind we intended on just fostering the big boy since we just adopted our wild boy Brodie only a few months earlier. Taco was emaciated, had heart worm infection, anal gland infections, wouldn’t eat and had BB’s under his skin from being shot. I took one look at this boy as he buried his head into my chest and knew we would never be apart.

Taco is now healthy and happy and (sure enough!) we are never apart. Our day starts with a morning off-leash walk in the woods with his brother, Brodie, followed by his breakfast. We get ready and Taco and I go to work at North Star Sports in Burlington. He has a sofa up front to lay on and a dog bed in the back. Where I go, he goes. If I am up front helping customers, so is he. When I am in the back, so is he.

Everyone loves Taco and Taco loves everyone and everything. He greets our customers and then flops on the floor for belly rubs. I have many people who come in, not to buy anything, but to see Taco. During lunch, we go out to Church St for his treat walk. Our first stop is the Red Onion where he gets a slice of smoked cheese and half a biscuit. He is so loved and goes behind the counter and sits patiently for his treat. When he comes in everyone says “Taco’s here”! and his tail wags. Next we go to the Leunig’s Kiosk where he has a bag with homemade dog treats waiting for him(I pay for them in advance to make sure he has some waiting). He gets only half to keep him at a healthy weight. Our last stop is Starbucks where I get a latte and he gets a Hershey kiss size pupa-chino (dab of whip cream in a cup). At the end of the day we go for another hour walk in the woods in an attempt to burn off the extra calories.