It’s been said that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Bobby Humphrey proves that we can all learn new things. Humphrey is the ‘large guy’ behind Big Guy Littles World Sanctuary, a rehoming facility for chihuahuas who have had a tough existence. Humphrey used to make fun of folks who had party-sized dogs until a few years ago. Rottweilers were Humphrey’s favorite breed, and he thought little dogs like chihuahuas were ludicrous.
But all of that was about to change. Humphrey was feeling lost in the world after his 17-year marriage ended. He became increasingly sad, to the point where he considered suicide. Connie, on the other hand, stood by his side and refused to let him proceed down that road. She was there for him in his worst moments and never left his side. Humphrey’s trust in life was restored thanks to Connie.
Humphrey believed it was only right to extend a helping hand to Connie when she came to him for a favor. Connie was relocating and was unable to transport her Chihuahua Lady. She asked Humphrey if he could take Lady in as a foster child and care for her for a while.
Humphrey was not overjoyed at the thought of caring for Lady. She was not only one of those tiny dogs dad used to make fun of, but she was also a handful. Lady had a reputation for being hostile, and she had seemed peculiar and ‘off’ ever since she’d somehow survived accidentally taking some chemotherapy medication.
But Humphrey, who owed Connie a debt of gratitude for her help, consented to take Lady in. Lady then shocked him. The notoriously unfriendly dog warmed up to him right away and began curling up in his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The two became fast friends, and Lady assisted Humphrey in overcoming the remaining vestiges of his sadness. Humphrey was still battling and working through his feelings, despite Connie’s efforts, and now Lady was there to love and encourage him. He was about to continue down that dark path again when she intervened.
Lady, on the other hand, couldn’t stay with Humphrey indefinitely. He expected her to return to Connie and her son at some point. Humphrey, on the other hand, had grown accustomed to having a little companion in his home, so he set out to find his own Lady. That’s how he got to know Kira. A small brown chihuahua with a feisty personality.
When Humphrey first met Kira, she was living in deplorable circumstances and had an equally deplorable attitude. She was a whirlwind of wrath. Rather than abandoning her and continuing his search for a new puppy, Humphrey chose to take her with him. He was frightened that no one would want to adopt such a ferocious small dog, and he didn’t want her to be abandoned.
Kira had softened and begun snuggling Humphrey by the time they returned to Humphrey’s house, so she must have noticed Humphrey’s compassion. Humphrey would gradually educate her on how to trust again. Humphrey resumed his search after adopting Kira, who was already a year old. Humphrey wanted to nurture a dog from puppyhood, so after adopting Kira, he continued his quest.
After seeing that Harley and his sister Quinn were living in deplorable conditions, he decided to adopt both Harley and his sister Quinn. Due to inbreeding, the two pups were extremely vulnerable, and Humphrey began to realize that the world was full of mistreated puppies in need of assistance.
And it was the start of it all. Humphrey kept finding chihuahuas in need of his assistance, and he knew he had to aid them. He founded Big Guy, Littles World Sanctuary, and has rescued a large number of chihuahuas since then. Humphrey has rehomed some of the chihuahuas, but he still has about 30 chihuahuas in his home, and that number is set to grow.
Every day, he is showered with love by grateful little pups, and it’s hard to believe he used to feel anything except love for the world’s tiniest dogs.