HOPE NEEDS A FOSTER HOME - PLEASE APPLY TO FOSTER HOPE TODAY!
Hope's Story & Diary:
Hope was turned in by a person who abandoned her. She managed to keep three puppies alive, and healthy, while her own body deteriorated. She was making the ultimate sacrifice - her life for theirs.
I named her "Hope" because she is a dying dog that was placed into humans hands that showed love to a dog who had never seen love, and she was then rescued and put into a cozy home surrounded by love. Alone, abandoned, tired, and starving - but she was rescued. She exemplifies the HOPE that other dogs, like Hope, can be saved too.
These pages are going to serve as a journal of her progression.
Day 1 in Charleston: June 28, 2008
Day 2: June 29, 2008
Written by Hope's foster mom:
It's day 2 with Hope and so far
1. She and the other dogs and cats are all getting along well. She snuggled on the couch all night long with one of the cats.
2. She grabbed a toy and started playing with it.
3. She has wagged her tail twice! Of course, she now thinks I'm a human food/treat dispenser but that's ok!!!
As I type this she is crashed out on the couch behind me - I think she's been through so much she's just glad to have a quiet place to sleep.
(That's Dixie on the right, Hope on the left)
Day 3: June 30, 2008
Look at Hope's expression! Her entire attitude is changing, and fast! She's cuddling with the kitties and playing with Dixie. Her tail is wagging more and she's doing well!!
VET UPDATE: Hope went in for her bloodwork today. Everything looks good! She weighs about 38lbs right now. She is riddled with worms and has to be dewormed regularly.
Hope's vet care today, 6/30/2008, was about $200. Her food and supplements cost around $75, just for month # 1. Thank you to everyone who donated!!!!
July 6, 2008: The Beginning of Week Two
What a difference one week, good food, and lots of love makes!! WOW!!!!!!
I think it's allllll about the love.....
****HOPE NEEDS A NEW FOSTER HOME!!!!****
Hope's foster mommy has done sooooo much!! She's beautiful, strong, and none of her hip bones or ribs are showing now. AMAZING!!!!! But, Hope needs a new foster home. Hope has been showing dog aggression toward foster mom's German Shepherd, now that Hope is stronger, and we don't want to risk hurting either of them. She needs a home that is willing to work with her on it, using crate and rotate methods, muzzling, strong training, and various other methods to curb dog aggression. The most important thing to us is ALWAYS the safety and welfare of the foster families and the dogs. Hope shows absolutely NO aggression toward people, whatsoever. If she goes to a foster home, and the foster home is unable to curb her dog aggression, we will continue to move her until we find the right place for her. Hope would do best as an only dog.
July 12, 2008 - Week Three
Look at Hope!! No more ribs!!!
This is Hope's roommate, Little D. Isn't he handsome?
August 2, 2008: Look how far she has come....
Time for an update!!!
September 28, 2008
Hope has been going through a program we have been working on designing for several months, to curb her dog aggression. It's a program we are still working on, but so far we have seen some amazing success. The first dog in the program was Josie. She started showing dog aggression in her foster home, so we moved her out of that home and into a different environment, one that is designed for that kind of thing. I looked at the Cesar Milan methods for dog aggression and built upon some of his ideaology and methods. When Cesar gets a dog aggressive dog, he puts that dog into his pack of 40-something balanced dogs. You would think it would be a massacre - it's not. In nature, dogs have a strict pack structure. There are alpha dogs and followers. In our world of domesticated dogs, the alpha dog is the human running the household. All of the dogs in a household are followers, but there is always an alpha among those followers. In a balanced household, the alpha dog is always treated like the alpha dog and there is never any challenge among the dogs.
We take that line of thought and do a slow integration of a dog-aggressive dog into a balanced pack of at least 3 other pit bulls. The program is still in the process of being perfected, but so far, so good.
We integrated Josie into a balanced pack and it took some work and patience, but it has completely changed her. She is no longer dog aggressive in her pack! Does that mean she won't ever be dog aggressive again? No. But through proper education and guidance, anyone who adopts her can rest assured that her dog aggression is mild, trainable, and non-existent in the right environment.
We have been working with Hope in the same way. She's been integrated into a balanced pack for several weeks now. Her dog aggression is also mild and we have determined that some of it is resource guarding. She is still unpredictable with other dogs and will need a lot more work.
After integrating her and observing her closely, it is apparent that her emotional state is still not quite "there". She is still very fearful of human hands, loud noises, and anything new. She sits in her crate by choice, with the door standing wide open, watching the world with fearful eyes. She still needs a lot of emotional rehab and a very gentle home that is will to show her that humans are not going to inflict pain on her any more. It has taken several weeks, but she is finally coming up to people, and she is willing to spend time with people now.
Hope is truly the most emotionally damaged Pit we have worked with up to this point.
And, some new photos are below. She's filled out, thick, and stunning. Just look at that muscle tone!! Her physical rehab is done!! Now we are working on her emotions and fears, and her dog aggressive tendencies.
