The Beloved Pooch
Sharla Wilson’s beloved pooch is also one of her greatest joys in life. You see, the famous pug is a rescue and he has been by her side since he was only a puppy. They’ve been together through thick and thin for more than 11 years.
Of course, every dog owner feels the same way. The connection between a person and their pet is a unique bond, and the love that Sharla has for her pug is like none other.
Charleston Got Really Old
A few years ago, with old age, Charleston lost most of his sight because of cataracts. However, he’s learned how to ask for attention by howling in a very weird and crazy way…
He even howls at things he smells but he cannot reach at! While it can be a little annoying, it's really cute. Here’s Sharla’s description of those howls.
The Alien Sounds
> "It’s the most horrific sound you’ve ever heard," she said in an interview with The Dodo. "His howl is crazy. It’s a startling noise, to say the least. It sounds like some sort of alien life form."
But the problem was Sharla decided to move into a new apartment building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For Charleston, that only meant unfamiliar places and bumping into walls!
Getting Lost... Again
Since Charleston moved with his mom, he gets lost in the new place and begins howling for his mom when he gets lost in a corner. In the morning, his trips to the water bowl are filled with adventure, said Sharla, who has to get up and find him:
> "I have to physically touch him — then he’s happy and well again. He just wants to know where I am."
A Great Friend
> "He’s been my light during some tough times. He’s been my friend. He’s been everything," said Sharla, with tears in her eyes.
She is heartbroken because he struggles without his eyesight, but she is doing everything in her power to keep him comfortable. As for the howling, you might wonder what the neighbors' reaction to the noisy pooch was…
Neighbors Might Be Alarmed
If you’ve never heard “alien-like” howls before, then you should know that neither Sharla’s neighbors have heard such sounds. It just didn't sound like a dog was making that noise.
But the woman couldn’t leave behind her beloved companion. She knew the old spoiled pooch was coming along, no matter what. But then the howling got more frequent!
Leaving For Work
Sharla had no other option but to hope for the best and go to work, leaving Charleston alone in the new unfamiliar house. He wasn’t ready to be left alone in that place, so he began howling and squealing every time he bumped into things.
So far, nobody complained about the noise, but how long would the neighbors take it before complaining? That’s when Sharla came up with a great idea…
Making Sure the Neighbors Understand
Since Sharla didn’t want to disturb her neighbors and knock on each and every door to explain the situation, she created a sign and posted it in the hallway so that everyone in the building would see it.
“I was told that it was a quiet building, so I made a note thinking we'd get ahead of it. I put this sign up as an advisement,” she explained, not knowing how viral the sign would become! You won’t believe what the sign said...
Noticing a Photo
That same day when Sharla put up the sign in the hallway, one of the neighbors noticed the photo and the message, and her reaction was just perfect.
She couldn’t help laughing when she saw the adorable pooch and the message, so she took a photo of it, posting it on Twitter. Here's what it looks like in the next photo. Get ready to have your heart melted!
The Sign Went Viral
It didn't take long before people starting retweeting the funny picture of Charleston and the adorable message that came with it. To Shaila's surprise, this sign she taped on the hallway went viral.
Her neighbor took a picture and posted it on Twitter which got thousands of retweets and likes. And how could it not? It was so cute. But how do you think Sharla reacted to this?
Popular Dog
As the Twitter post was becoming viral, more and more people were falling in love with Charleston Chew. Sharla couldn't believe what was happening and she was happy that her neighbors didn't get angry with Charleston Chew's howling.
In fact, Charleston became a sort of celebrity in the building, and the neighbors loved running into him in the hallway. Nobody ever complained about his howling, and both he and Sharla adjusted to their new lives. But you'll never guess how many things changed since this story happened...
Charleston Chew is Adopted
The first thing that Sharla decided to do after seeing how many people fell in love with her dog was to tell everyone that she is an advocate of adopting animals and not buying them. If someone is lucky enough to be heard, they should use their platform to spread good messages, and that's exactly what Sharla did.
She took the opportunity to spread a good message and hopes that other people would start adopting dogs in need and save them from shelters. She also told us this heartbreaking thing about her pooch...
Serious Health Problems
On the downside of things, Charleston Chew was struggling with some serious health problems like diabetes and cataracts. Being an elderly dog, he had to deal with normal yet dangerous health issues, just like most dogs his age.
This was making it difficult for Sharla to take care of the pug, financially speaking. Hearing this, some pet companies decided to give Sharla a helping hand. Here's what they did...
Viral Picture
The picture of Charleston Chew was getting more and more popular on Twitter and this grabbed the attention of many companies. They thought about something that could benefit Charleston, while also getting good publicity.
Seeing how Sharla needed some help in order to take care of her lovely pug, pet companies donated some cool stuff to her. Keep reading to see what goodies Sharla and Charleston Chew received.
Donations
One company gave Sharla a free shopping spree on their website which allowed her to buy lots of healthy food and squeaky toys for Charleston Chew.
But their generosity did not end there, because Sharla also received a camera to help her check on Charleston Chew while she is working. Now, she could know whether her precious dog was doing OK all by himself.
A Local Celebrity
It didn't take long for Charleston Chew to become a local celebrity and everyone wanted to take pictures with him, especially the neighbors. As we've mentioned before, their neighbors loved running into them and playing with Charleston whenever they got the chance.
With such a distinctive face, he was easily recognized while he and Sharla were walking down the street. How do you think Charleston Chew felt about this?
So Much Love
Sharla and Charleston Chew couldn't believe how much love they were receiving, but the adorable pug was a little bit shy about meeting new people at first. After all, imagine if all of a sudden people just stopped you in the street and asked you to take pictures with them!
However, he quickly became comfortable and started taking pictures with everyone. He basically got used to all the extra attention, and like the clingy and cuddly dog that he was, he loved it all. Making new friends was his favorite new activity.
The Right Choice
From the looks of it, Sharla's decision to move to Pittsburg was the right choice. She got a nice job and her loving pug got tons of new friends who loved being around him. This was a win-win situation for both of them!
And isn't it the same when it comes to us? Trying new experiences is always scary and it is hard to get used to it, but sometimes this leads us to great opportunities and meeting new people.
Good Boy
Charleston Chew is a good boy and everyone who came to visit him brought some delicious treats with them. Charleston Chew was no longer alone and he had lots of treats! The pug was super happy!
Not only that, but many people offered to babysit Charleston while Sharla was at work, which is was started this whole thing. Suddenly, Charleston was no longer alone during the day, and he had no reason to howl anymore.
Great Neighbors
Sharla still can't believe how great her new neighbors are. She initially expected everyone to hate her and Charleston Chew because of the noise the pug was making, but the exact opposite happened.
Of course, she was very lucky, because not everyone has such cool neighbors. Hey, sometimes we, ourselves, are the ones who are always complaining about the noise of others! But everything worked out for Sharla and her adorable Pug.
Adorable Pug
Sharla hopes that Charleston Chew's story is going to show people that adopting animals is the right thing to do. Even though the ones in pet stores need saving as well, the ones at shelters are more likely to be "put to sleep" if no one adopts them.
In fact, it is estimated that around 1.5 million animals in shelters are put to sleep every year because there is no space for them. While the number has been declining, it is still very much alarming.
A Noble Cause
Isn't it amazing how Shaila is using the popularity of Charleston Chew to shine light on serious matters such as animal shelters? Now this shows us that Shaila is a great person who fights for a noble cause.
She also revamped her Twitter account and has made it all about Charleston. There, she regularly posts pictures of the adorable little dog and their adventures together.
Sweet Dreams
Shaila says that it didn't take long for Charleston Chew to become comfortable around his new home and that he now sleeps all day long. In fact, he doesn't even need babysitters anymore.
This is great because Shaila can leave for work without having to worry about her pug. She still uses the camera to check up on him, but she has nothing to worry about.
Happy Pug
All that matters now is that Charleston Chew is finally happy in his new home and that he doesn't howl for Shaila every time she leaves.
Also, Charleston Chew is a local celebrity and he is going to receive lots of belly rubs every time Shaila takes him out to the park.
A Pug's Story
Shaila's decision to create that sign was what caused her neighbors and the entire world to fall in love with Charleston Chew and this was really clever of her.
With his cute face and his howling, he captivated thousands of people's hearts. His love for his human mom is something so special that we all wish we could get a Pug to feel the same type of connection with. What did you think about this heartwarming story?