Ian Russell likens adopting Kai to winning the lottery. And there’s really no better analogy after being the one chosen to bring home a dog that hundreds of other dog lovers around the world wanted to adopt.
On January 2, 2015, Kai, a Shar-pei mix, was found tied to a railing outside the Ayr train station in Scotland, near Glasgow. Beside the desolate-looking dog sat a suitcase that contained a pillow, toy, food, and a bowl. Who could have abandoned a dog like this?
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Officials wondered the same thing and did some sleuthing. Their journey down that rabbit hole eventually uncovered Kai’s backstory: His microchip led them to his original owner, who sold him two years earlier. He claimed to have no clue about what had happened to Kai after the sale.
They eventually tracked down the woman who left him at the station and she claimed to have been tricked during the purchase and Kai was a different breed than the one she’d arranged to buy.
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During their investigation, the news of Kai’s abandonment broke hearts around the world. The Glasgow SPCA office was flooded with phone calls from as far away as Los Angeles and the Phillippines from people who wanted to adopt poor Kai.
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But Kai needed surgery for entropions, or eyelids that curl inward before he could be adopted. Luckily, the sweet pup had amassed so many supporters, that the SPCA was able to raise double their goal in just one day!
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Finally, they chose his new owner. Out of all those applicants, they decided Ian was the best fit. His Dalmatian had passed away not long before Kai was discovered, and they could tell that he truly had this sweet Shar-pei’s best interests at heart.
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One of the reasons we chose Ian was right from the start he said he was interested in rehoming Kai, but he would take our advice if we thought one of the many other dogs in our care would suit him better.
It was really important for us to select an owner who wanted Kai for all the right reasons and had really thought through their decision to take on a rescue dog.
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They hit it off right from the start, and for the last couple years, Kai has led a fulfilling life filled with love and companionship.
“He comes to work with me every day and has a wee face he pulls if he thinks I’m going out without him,”Ian said shortly after adopting him.
He works as an engineer who travels to various worksites across the country, so his four-legged buddy tags along. Of course, they make little pit stops along the way to visit new and old friends… and to nom on some goodies.
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But Kai’s also served as an inspiration for his new dad, too. Ian had run marathons in the past, but after Kai came into his life, he started running them specifically to help raise funds for the Scottish SPCA.
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That “wee face he pulls”is surely on full display on marathon day. But Kai gets plenty of time training with his dad and socializing in other arenas.
Kai is such a gentle dog and is great with everyone, including children. When we’re in the park he usually ends up getting chased by much smaller dogs though as he’s just so placid!
It had to have taken weeks of vetting for the SPCA officials to sort through all those applications, but it was worth it in the end, because Kai couldn’t have found a happier or more loving home.
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