Adoption Success x 2

Last year, Debbie unexpectedly lost both of her dogs, a pair of Border Collies, within months of each other. It was a devastating loss, and she really missed having pup companionship in her life. She planned to adopt a dog, and then wanted to foster until she found a great pairing. She applied for our Border Collie, Daisy, and was passionate to meet her, but Daisy was already committed to another foster-to-adopt home. Debbie adopted her prior dogs as puppies but this time wanted to help a more mellow adult dog who needed a home. We suggested she consider Bones, a community care dog we were finally able to rescue from being penned and isolated his whole life. Debbie said yes without hesitation and stepped up to foster him.

Bones had the misfortune of coming from a hoarding situation. He was one of 16 dogs living on the same property. Some were chained, some penned, and some were kept in a woodshed with no windows or circulating air. None of the dogs had vet care; they were filthy, matted, and unaltered. Bones was chained when we first met him, but after Animal Control was called, his owner moved him into a tiny pen that was technically legal but never cleaned or attended to. Bones could never expect fresh water, regular food, or any positive human interaction — he just existed. His owner was mentally ill and wouldn’t agree to release him to our care. Thankfully, our team lead in SC, Susan, persisted, checking in on the dogs every few months to offer free vet care, food, and clean-up help, and was able to get some of the dogs spayed/neutered and ultimately released to our custody. When his owner went into a nursing home, her adult son allowed us to rehome the remaining dogs, and released Bones to our care.

Bones needed a phased approach to get him comfortable with people before we could transition him to a foster home. Initially, we helped build a large pen that allowed him to move around freely, gave him a raised bed for comfort, and put in a roof and a new dog house to protect him from the elements. Our team would drop by to make sure he had fresh water and food every day, and started giving him daily walks to break up the monotony and expose him to humans and the world outside his pen. It took some time for Bones to be receptive human kindness. At first, he would freeze and growl when our team approached, but their delicious treats, positive interactions, and improvements to his living conditions had a positive impact on this very sweet boy. He started to get excited when he saw volunteers coming, with big tail wags and a delighted smile on his face.

Amazingly, after five years of living in a filthy pen, Bones made a seamless transition to living indoors and the comforts of home life. He made the trip to N. VA in February and was adopted by Debbie within days of settling into his new home. Debbie sent us this lovely note:

Thank you, to everyone involved. I cannot begin to imagine all that goes into the process that leads a dog like Bones to be rescued far away and ultimately into my home. I am extremely grateful to have found you and received your kind support and help in finding my new fur family. I am irrevocably in love with Bones, as I thought I would be, and you must have anticipated that too. We are an excellent match, but who wouldn’t be as he is all love. Thank you.

This was the happy ending we wanted for Bones, but not the end of this story. A few weeks after adopting Bones, Daisy became available. The pup in her potential new home was not accepting her, and they decided not to adopt. We contacted Debbie, who was thrilled with this update and had planned to get a companion for Bones. It was a little sooner than ideal, but we decided to do the meetup to see how the 2 dogs responded to each other. The meetup could not have gone better. Bones and Daisy had great chemistry and became instant friends. It was meant to be. Debbie sent us this update on her new pack:

From the moment they awake to the second they close their eyes Bones and Daisy are playful and affectionate with each other. They follow each other around and play nearly all day long, wrestling and chasing each other around the back yard. They now sleep entwined, and know they are a unit together with me. When I call, they both come running. When they want a treat, they understand that they both get a treat. They are in tune with each other and care about each other. Daisy has taken the lead, and Bones seems very content to follow her. He definitely adores her and Daisy seems to really reciprocate a close bond.

Bones was initially unsure of where he belonged and how to communicate his needs, but quickly learned where the comfortable and sunny places were to lay, and that it was ok to ask me for affection or a treat. I think Daisy has helped him. Now, he is better at communicating when he wants a hug or to climb into my lap to take a nap. He initially would ask for treats in order to get reassurance, but now he is content to get affection instead, although he gets treats really-really often! Initially, he would be cautious by giving Daisy and I personal space. Now, he climbs right in and ‘dog piles’ us and won’t hesitate to fall instantly asleep while sitting on me or Daisy. He is relaxed, content, and knows it is ok to ask for affection now.

Bones and Daisy just want to be loved and aim to please. I look after them, and they look after me. They are smart dogs and know that my role is to protect them and be a kind loving leader. I can tell by the way they interact with me and each other, that they know we are a family. They remind me to be affectionate and to show how much I love and appreciate them. They have brought gratitude in my life on a constant basis.

We love this story and wish Bones, Daisy, and Debbie many happy, healthy years together.