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After one of our dogs had died, the other, named Angel, became very lonesome. Angel used to "take care" of the other dog; she would wash his ears and face and bring him toys, but now he couldn't play anymore. Since we both worked, our Angel had to spend the whole day with just the cats.
I started calling around looking for an adult dog that needed a home. I finally got a hold of a rescue in southern Ohio that had one and we made arrangements to get her. Upon our arrival we met with Jenny. She looked so needy we just had to take her. We didn't know much about how to help her but we had to try.
At first, Jenny hid in a corner and wouldn't allow us to get near her. We finally tied a 3 foot string on her collar so we could catch her. She was afraid of everything, especially thunderstorms and loud noises. We tried to take her picture but couldn't; the flash on the camera even terrified her. She was afraid of open spaces and when she went outdoors, she just panicked!
Angel really played a big role in teaching Jenny that she would be ok. Angel took her treats and toys and would push them to Jenny with her nose. One day we heard a noise and saw Jenny pushing a ball against the wall in her corner. She saw us watching her and promptly stopped.
We then began to see changes in Jenny almost by the hour. It was very slow but she finally would sneak out of her favorite corner if we weren't around. We had to teach her how to drink out of a bowl instead of a bottle. At the time, she wouldn't eat out of a bowl; we had to put food on the floor.
Little by little she got a little braver with Angel's help. It was a really big day the first time we saw her tail wag!
To this day Jenny is still afraid of the camera and thunderstorms, but she comes to us now instead of hiding. She is also afraid of being picked up, but she loves to be held and hugged. She sleeps in bed with us and loves belly rubs. She's been here 5 years now and is just now beginning to initiate play with other dogs here.
It was so rewarding to watch her change into a "real dog" that we wanted to help others. We said we would foster one or two when needed. Well, as time went on, the need kept growing and so did our foster dogs. We've had as many as 23 dogs here at one time. They come from everywhere: shelters, strays and owners that just don't want them anymore. We even had two come from a home that didn't want them anymore because, "they bought new furniture and the dogs didn't match"!!
Jenny is now a very happy dog and Angel is still her best friend.
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- Jenny's Parents, Joan and Jim |
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