Susan Popper’s Shelty “Sally” has spent four days in New Jersey with a compassionate and experienced dog lover and rescuer.
Betty loved Sally and hoped to keep her, but that is not possible as she explained in an e-mail to Susan’s Friend Donna, who brought her to her loving foster home late last week:
“After 24 hours with Sally,” wrote Betty, “here is what I think. She is a lovely little dog. She is sweet-natured and undemanding. She doesn’t seem to have any issues with my dogs or my cat. We all went for a two-mile walk this morning on the walking paths around… Except for getting tangled in her leash, she kept up and seemed interested in her surroundings.
The territory is now well marked by her.
Last night she slept in her crate with no complaints. Tonight I think I will give her the run of the kitchen. I went on errands this morning and confined her there and she was right where I left her no problem. She doesn’t seem to bark or make any noise at all. She is almost too good.
Now for the bad news. She is a typical only dog. She is used to her food being left for her to pick at all day and I can’t do that here. My other dogs and even the cat will eat it. I tried leaving her food with her in the kitchen while I was out and discovered the cat ate it. So she is not eating and I can’t figure out how to accommodate her eating style. This is a big concern.”
Sally, she said, is upsetting one of Betty’s dogs and taking her place on her favorite spots. She said she thought Donna needed to look for a permanent home, preferably with a single woman and no other dogs.
From my knowledge of Sally, Betty has it right.
A number of Shelty rescuers have contacted me to say that this breed is loyal but attaches quickly to new owners.
My own feeling is that Sally will eat eventually, dogs don’t starve to death if there is food around, and it’s not uncommon for dogs to not eat for a couple of days when they get to a new home.
It also can take weeks, even months, for dogs to adjust to new members of the pack. But Betty is wise to identify her need for a single person home with few if any, other animals. People have to feel comfortable with a new dog, better to spot those issues now.
Betty’s analysis seems thoughtful and honest to me, she is both compassionate and clear. People have to trust their instincts with dogs. Much better to fight the right home than decide later it’s the wrong dog.
So Sally’s journey is not over. Donna is looking for other possible homes for Sally in the New Jersey area, assuming Susan doesn’t get home to be with her herself. At the moment, that doesn’t seem likely.
Donna, a good and loyal friend, wants to keep an eye on her.
Several people have contacted me in recent days to offer help in re-homing Sally. She will make a sweet and loving companion for someone.
I talked with Susan today, she had a rough day in the hospital, a lot of nausea, but is resting comfortably now. This week, we will all be meeting with hospital officials so see what happens next. Susan asked me to be there.
Donna is fortunate to live on the block she does in our beautiful little town of Cambridge, N.Y. Her neighbors Jeff and Marsha have moved in quickly to take care of her house, shoveling the walks, caring for her car, removing any garbage and checking on the house several times a day.
In our town, community lives, and Jeff and Marsha embody the best of it.
Best wishes for finding the dog a new home! I feed my dogs in their crates so they can eat at their leisure and don’t steal from each other, so it may be worth trying while she’s with the foster family. I’m sure she has plenty of resources, just wanted to share what worked for me with one dog that liked to snack and one that gobbles it down.