Our Precious ~ the new foster dog. UPDATE to Rainbow Bridge. 11/10/11

**Ceashels** · 02-20-2008, 09:18 AM

Here are a few pics of our foster sheltie. She is such a timid creature and follows me around from room to room when I'm on the main floor. She came with the name of Tootie (she has only had it a week) which we have promptly changed to Precious which fits her much better. The Resuce Organizer says she looks like a puppy mill dump. This is where the female dogs are used for breeding in rapid succession then dumped off to fend for themselves when they are too old to carry another litter.

The Shelter that got her spayed her and pulled ALL of her teeth so she is on some soft food for the rest of her life. She has antibiotics, pain medicine and ear medicine for the next 2 weeks. So she has been poorly treated in her earlier years and it is time someone treats her better. You can see in the one picture how she turns her head down and away with physical contact or approaching physical contact.

She doesn't know how to play and I don't think she knows how to bark. She doesn't have much energy by the looks of her but I get a tailwag sometimes. Her legs look out of alignment and she has a little bit of trouble walking, but she gets around ok on level surfaces. She is a bit of a mess but my goal is to get her to trust us. I think that is the most important thing right now.

**Twinkle** · 02-20-2008, 09:25 AM

Poor dog. She's lucky to have you as a foster "mom"

**Jayne** · 02-20-2008, 09:29 AM

The poor thing..It is so wonderful of you to foster her...Why did they have to pull her teeth?

**Missy** · 02-20-2008, 09:39 AM

Poor beautiful precious!! If I were closer, I'd have my name on the list for her. she needs lovin, and I am glad she found someone who cares so much as you do!!

**Missy** · 02-20-2008, 09:41 AM

If i understand right, doesn't over breeding deplete the females calcium reserves, making their teeth brittle and sore?

**Ceashels** · 02-20-2008, 09:44 AM

We don't have full access to the vet records but Linda (the rescue organizer) said that if the local county shelters find the teeth are bad they will opt to pull them. This saves multiple procedures that would try to save the teeth and (as i would imagine) add to the expenses.

If the overbreeding does deplete the calcium then I'm sure her teeth were in pretty bad shape.

**Ceashels** · 02-20-2008, 09:51 AM

Missy, I know there are other rescue organizations based on breeds and even some of the local county shelters foster out dogs instead of euthanizing them. I am finding fostering of these older beautiful dogs incredibly rewarding and hope to pass the word to anyone who can spare a warm corner and some love to any animal in need.

One of the things the Sheltie rescue does is require an application, references and a home visit before letting a dog be adopted. There was a fee of $250. to adopt Lacy and that helps cover the vet bills when they are brought in. Compared to the cost of the "retail" dog in the store this is an incredible savings. It also provides a needy dog with a good home and the right home is crucial for a successful adoption.

We were able to adopt Lacy because we have another high energy sheltie that is close in age. They wear each other out some days. WooHoo!

http://www.ncsr-md.org/story.htm ~ link to the Northern Chesapeake Rescue Site

**tbs727** · 02-20-2008, 10:09 AM

Awwww...she's beautiful. Her story just breaks my heart. We have one little girl who came to us with the some of the same things, she didn't know how to play, she still doesn't play much, but it seems to make her happy when the other dogs play. She would also hunker down when someone got close and she still doesn't trust strangers until our alpha dog checks them out. I hope that your new pup will learn from you and your other dogs. good luck!

**emily_hope** · 02-20-2008, 10:26 AM

What a sad story. I don't see how people can treat animals so poorly. Glad you were there for her.

**julieb** · 02-20-2008, 10:30 AM

I love dogs. I am glad you were there for her, she is beautiful.

**Missy** · 02-20-2008, 10:31 AM

There's something that I find physically painful to me, in my own heart, about an abused dog. Especially in very docile, "softspoken" dogs.

We once had a Doberman my aunt and uncle got in terrible shape. His handler (us army military police) has abused the snot out of her trying to make her be agressive. He'd torn an ear, butchered off her tail (no, not surgically like usual...butchered) broken some ribs and more. She was in awful shape. But through it all once my aunt and uncle got their hands on her, she was never aggressive, she was very loving and very gentle. She was a very special dog.

**Persimmon Lace** · 02-20-2008, 02:32 PM

What a fortunate dog to have found you guys! She's a cutie.

**pinetree** · 02-20-2008, 04:03 PM

What a beautiful girl,

Thank goodness there are still kind hearted people like you to look after these poor things.

Thank-you. I know it takes a special person to foster.