Everyone at DRSF was blown away by how much love and support came to our 17 hoarder dogs. (If you are not familiar with their story, read more here….). Many of the Hoarder House Survivors have gone on to choose their forever families already, and DRSF is still caring for 5 dogs who are extremely emotionally challenged – and I am fostering two of them.
For the general sake of argument, I have two feral dogs in my house (3 if you count Tink who is pretty much in the same state) Bobbi and Meri are still struggling, but I am trying to remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. Each of them are 7ish years old and it is insane to think that after 7 years of living in the conditions that they were living in, that they are going to turn the corner in a month or two, or three, or for, or five, or six…..which also brings us to the question of caring for “emotionally wounded” dogs and their impact on a rescue, but more on that later.
“How are Bobbi and Meri doing?” – I am touched that such a large portion of the people who follow my foster page ask about them. They are still struggling – each in their own way, which is fascinating, considering the environment they came from.
Bobbi – I still can not touch Bobbi, but she will sit in the living room or jump up on the couch if I am not around. As soon as she sees me, she runs. If she is in a bed in the living room and I am on the couch and stand up, she runs. Her world is under the bed in my room, a couple beds in the living room and running “safety laps” which are laps around the couch including the space between the couch and the wall which messes up my curtains so they are never hung correctly. Bobbi is incredibly food motivated and I need to shoo her away from muscling in on the other dogs while they are eating. She has not ventured outside yet (despite seeing all the other dogs going outside), but her tail comes up when it is time to eat, she makes eyes at me while plotting to take the other dogs food, and for some crazy reason she is pee pad trained. I have zero idea how this is possible……
Meri – Meri is in a much worse place. Meri has been with me for a month now, and will not come out from her little pen/world that is now set up in my room. With the guidance of President Pam, Meri has a “den” which consists of a high pen wrapped around one of my bedside tables, where she can hide under the end table (in a bed), with pee pads covering the rest of it, so that she can come out and potty. (I was having to pull her out every other day to potty, which was not good, and every time I would try to move her, she would potty and poo all over the place because she was terrified and had to go so badly…), now she gets out of bed to eat, and potty, and otherwise stays in the bed under the end table. All day, every day……
Things we have tried….aromatherapy, Whole Tones music therapy, CBD Oil, Flower Essences, and Bachs Rescue Remedy, DRSF provided a trainer from Dynamite Dog to meet with Bobbi and Meri, and we added a pheromone diffuser and puzzles (trying to break the cycle of anxiety in her mind…) So far, no major breakthroughs. I bring her food to her den, change out her pee pads when necessary, and try to give her a little piece of hot dog each time I go in to try and associate “people” with “treats”. So far, no major breakthroughs…. I had it in my mind that there would be this big emotional reunion between Bobbi and Meri and that they would lean on each other and help each other heal. Not so much……They don’t seem to know or care that the other one is even there. Crap.
The thought has crossed my mind as to what quality of life Meri has…..what is the right thing to do? I certainly am not going to give up on her in just 30 days, or even 60 or 90, or 120, but the flipside to that question is how long do you wait and try and how do you balance the needs of dogs like Meri and Bobbi against the needs of other dogs who we can “heal” and place quickly?
I am a foster who has a soft spot for senior dogs, medical dogs, and hospice dogs. I am maxed out a 6 dogs, 3 of which I cannot touch or interact with. I will do anything in the world for these three dogs (Tink is the other one….) but there are three spaces that are being occupied that could be used for other IVDD dogs, dogs with cancer, older dogs that will not get adopted due to a medical issue, etc. These are three dogs that DRSF is providing resources (trainers, supplies, monthly meds, grooming, etc), and medical care that others could use to complete their rescue journey. How do you weigh the good one one against the good of many? (or in my case, the good of three against the good of many…?) How far can they come back to “normal?”
It is not a question that has a right answer, or even a good answer. Every day I am grateful that I don’t need to make that choice. I am grateful that DRSF operates in such a way that if I have any thought or idea of inkling of something that could help, or could work, they are all for it as we are not expecting anything to be the magic bullet, but if something resonates with one of them, then it is worth it to keep going.
It is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a marathon not a sprint…….
