Rescuing Miss Daisy
A few weeks ago I ran across a Facebook post. It was about a little dog someone was trying to find a home for. I am in all kinds of rescue groups on social media so this wasn’t a strange occurrence. What was different however, was the little dog. Her markings were almost identical to my mom’s Jack Russell mix that passed away last year. She literally looked like a tiny version of him.
I sent the photo to my mom thinking it would make her smile and didn’t think much more about it. We already have several rescue pups and I never dreamed she’d agree to another. And yet, by 2pm the next day the little dog was on her way to a brand new life.
A Tough Introduction
This little dog’s backstory was quite sad. She was 8 years old and had apparently been abandoned by her owner, left alone in her crate for several days with no food or water. The lady who rescued her said the dogs name was Pixie, but we found she didn’t answer to or respond to it at all. She was a terrified, starving mess the first time I laid eyes on her. I spoke to her in soft words to try and introduce myself gently but she cowered, shaking in the back of her crate as far away as she could possibly get.
When I got home from work I again tried to introduce myself gently. I tried to coax her out of the crate with some of my dog’s favorite porky treats. She had zero interest in the treats and when I tried to pick her up she screamed and snapped at me, drawing blood where she bit me on my index finger. Finally, I just decided to leave her be and let her come to me when she was ready.
It took a few days. She pretty much just camped out underneath my mom’s bed. Although she seemed hungry, she wouldn’t eat dry dog food. She didn’t even seem that interested in wet dog food. The only thing I could coax her out from under the bed with was hot dogs. For the first few days that was all I could get her to eat. The fact that 2 of my rescues were not happy about this new intruder on their territory made it even more complicated.
A Slow Process
By the end of the second day I was really questioning whether this had been a good idea to add this little girl to the mix of our wild and wonderful pack. I hated the idea of her being so scared of all of us. Just when I was about to broach the subject of trying to find another home for her that might be somewhat quieter and calmer than our madhouse, I felt a tiny paw on my leg. I looked down to see this little pup easing her way up into my lap. Of course, I immediately reached down to pet her and she screamed. So I left her alone. I let her sit on my lap and get comfortable and I continued what I doing. I pretty much ignored her for the rest of the night. She cuddled up and slept for about 2 hours.
Making Progress
The next day when I came home from work she joined in the celebration of “mommy’s home”, twirling around in circles and barking her joy. I kneeled down to greet my 2 little shih tzus and she actually came over and licked my face! Again I tried to pet her and again she screamed in fear, so I backed off and let her come to me again when she was ready.
It took about thirty minutes of her watching me interact with the other dogs before she came back to me asking to get in my lap. I let her up and left her alone and again she curled up and slept contentedly on my lap. We decided to rename her Daisy, she seemed to like it and she came to it when called, so Daisy it is!
Daisy’s Brand New Life
I’ve always been super affectionate with my animals so it’s been a big adjustment for me to rein it in. I had to let this little one come to me in her own time and on her own terms. With a little time and patience she has melted beautifully into our little pack. Once she got comfortable in her surroundings she has proven to be a sweet and sassy addition to our household. I’m so pleased to see her putting a little weight on her skeletal frame and behaving like a happy, more confident girl enjoying her brand new life!
Boomer Is A Senior Dog That Needs A Loving Home ADOPTED!
