Corey�s Story | ||
It all happened so fast; fast enough to make your head
spin. Sometime during the night in mid June 2009, one of God�s special creatures
was scooped up and taken for what must have seemed like a long and lonely ride
to an unfamiliar place, a drop box at a local animal shelter. He came with a
short note stating that his name was Corey (name has been changed to protect the
innocent) and the reason for this sudden eviction from his home - not good with
new baby. The fear and confusion had to be unbearable as the darkness turned to
light. What had gone so terribly wrong to bring about such dire straits? That day was the beginning of a long journey engulfed with
sadness and despair. It all started when I was removed from that cold, damp drop
box and placed in a cage with a concrete floor and barking dogs all around
sharing their own sad story. At first I didn�t realize that this strange place
would be the start of a new life filled with love, compassion and hope through
the dedicated volunteers of Coastal Poodle Rescue. Several days passed when all of a sudden my cage opened, a
leash was looped around my neck and I was led out into a big room where two
people were waiting to greet me. I walked as fast as the restraint on my neck
allowed to the spot where they were standing; excited at the prospect of finally
going back home, but soon realizing that
these two people were not my family at all. Who were these people that walked me
to their car and drove me to another strange place? I was scared, really scared.
My whole life was turned upside down and I didn�t have the coping skills
necessary to deal with this major change in my life. I spent the next few weeks protecting myself from these
strangers. When they got too close to me, I did the only thing I knew how to
keep them away; I growled and I growled so fiercely that they kept a safe
distance from me, but that didn�t deter them from saying kind words to me each
time they walked by. Slowly as the days passed, I began to trust these two
people and allowed them to pet me. I must admit I was extremely timid, but the
love they had to give was overwhelming. I began to follow them around the house
and would even sit near them at the end of the couch. It was not easy for me or
them. They worked at it every day showing nothing but kindness and love. I was
beginning to adjust to this new life, but I still had my moments. Every day,
several times a day, I would urinate in the house out of fear. I was given a
belly band to wear to catch the urine before it reached the walls or the
furniture and that little piece of material became just another part of my body.
Through it all, my new family and I were able to co-exist and they grew to
accept me for who I was, but continued to long for who I could be. Wanting more for me, they made an appointment to see Dr.
Radosta, a well-known animal behaviorist. Our first visit was intimidating to
say the least. She spoke to my foster parents, took notes and observed my body
language. When it was all said and done, I walked out of there with a diagnosis
of �fear aggression� and a prescription for Prozac. She also gave specific
instructions and began to provide the tools necessary for my foster parents to
help move me to the next level. My foster parents continued to work with me and
even signed me up for beginning obedience class. My task was to become more
socialized with humans (dogs and cats have always been my friends; it is humans
that I am leery of). I took to obedience class like a fish to water. I even
ventured into some agility training and loved weaving through chairs and walking
through tunnels. My last visit with Dr. Radosta was awesome! She was amazed
at how confident and outgoing I had become. In her words, I was finally ready
for a new forever home. The fact that I no longer needed a belly band was the
icing on the cake! I understand there is no cure for fear aggression, only
remission. I will always be on Prozac, but guess what; Dr. Radosta told my
foster parents that in her opinion, I was in remission. What a proud moment for
all of us. Time, love, patience, compassion and lots of hard work won out in the
end. My foster mom says it is time for me to move on and that
makes me very sad, but she says that she has more work to do since there are
many more dogs like me who deserve a chance just like I did, so I am looking for
a forever home who is willing to share that same love and compassion my foster
parents gave to me. There is a strong possibility that I might regress somewhat
by moving to a new home, but unlike babies, I come with instructions and a
strong support system in place. If you are willing to give me a new home,
committed to continuing with my growth through love and positive reinforcement
training, please log on to
www.coastalpoodlerescue.org, complete an application and under comments,
state that you are interested in adopting me, Corey. No children, please. |