Dog Days at the Greene County Humane Society...
Dog Days at the Greene County Humane Society...
*This story has been updated in the happiest of ways! The added information is at the end, no spoilers for you*
Hello again, friends.
This column, I want to talk about dogs. Specifically, two dogs who have resided at the Greene County Humane Society since February.
As most of you know, I put together the “Pet of the Week” every week. I used to visit the Humane Society weekly to take pictures and get the animal’s information, but, since May, the addition of my good friend Larissa Tripp to the Humane Society staff has made the weekly visit unnecessary.
Larissa is a very talented photographer besides being a passionate animal lover, and that is why the Pet of the Week photos have been so much better since May.
These days, I just send a message to the “Humane Society Girls” (Michelle, Summer and Larissa), and they send me the info I need along with a great photo.
Last week we featured a doggy named Jazz, and Larissa sent me a link to something she had written about Jazz and about Mocha, the two dogs I wanted to talk about.
I was moved by what she wrote, and I will reprint her words now, because I couldn’t put their plight any better than she already has, and after learning their stories, I feel compelled to try to help these two fuzzy girls:
“Believe me when I tell you that it’ll be one step forward and two steps back for months.
Believe me when I tell you that you will get frustrated and want to give up.
Believe me when I tell you that it took me weeks to earn a HINT of trust.
Believe me when I take time to talk to you about an animal you are interested in adopting.
Believe me when I tell you it’s going to be hard.
I have spent nearly everyday since May with these girls, I turn them out, I feed them, I play with them.
I show them love and security.
I make sure their kennels are clean and their bowls are full.
I take their pictures, share their stories and give them a voice.
I give advice to potential families because I know these dogs and I want them to be successful and for their new family to understand their needs.
Mocha (tan) and Jazz (black) have been in the shelter since February, we are now into August. Neither dog “shows well” and despite my experience and understanding of these dogs; I cannot convince visitors to even consider them.
Jazz is an older gal, between seven and eight years old. Jazz cowers in her kennel and does not interact with visitors at all. When I spend time with a visitor I get the feeling they don’t believe me when I tell them with patience and dedication she can be a wonderful dog. These people don’t see the Jazz (Jazzers, Jazzhands, Jazzy) that I see each morning when I flip on lights and start the day. Jazz needs a quiet home and with the right person she will come out of her shell.
I tell people this because I know. I have spent months with these emotionally traumatized dogs teaching them that people CAN be good.
All visitors see is a cowering black dog in the corner of a kennel; they don’t see the hilarious dancing ball of fur that I see.
Thus far no one has given Jazz a second look, let alone a second chance. Everyone says “Aww” and “How sad.” as they walk away but no one says “I want to be her person.” When people look at Jazz in her kennel they don’t see what I see and I don’t know any other way to make people see what a sweet little being she can be.
It’s all up hill. It’s one step forward, two steps back. It is work.
Mocha is a little younger at three to five years old and unlike Jazz she is a little less shy (indifferent) in the kennel and she does not “show well” either. Just like Jazz, Mocha has been an absolute ton of time and energy. Earning her trust has been a slow and steady adventure that we are still on.
Unlike Jazz, Mocha had some interest. When she meets new people she shuts down totally and they turn away from her not able or willing to taken on the burden of reprogramming a damaged dog. Recently Mocha went with a new family who had seen her before and felt bad for her. I personally spent close to an hour breaking down Mocha to potential adopters and they decided to take her home. I felt pretty confident that they understood difficult road ahead of them but within two days Mocha was back in her kennel. After six months in a kennel she was given two days to adjust to strangers, a new house hold, new routines and well...new everything.
It took me months to pull Mocha out of her shell. I stressed that, I stressed how much work she would be but how worth it she was.
Unfortunately two days was all she was given.
So she is back, her best pal Jazz is happy she is back but I’m sad for her.
Her first 24 hours back at the shelter she laid on the floor and stared at the wall.
Jazz and Mocha have sat with us for so long. I do the best I can for them every day but nothing I can do at the shelter can compete with a real home.
They are happy smiling tail wagging dogs with big hearts and a ton of love to give to the right person.
They are both worth it.
Mocha giving kisses, Jazz dancing in excitement as she runs over for treats makes the hard work over the last few months worth it.
The fee to adopt these two has been greatly reduced, and hopefully that will be an incentive for somebody.
If only we had a yard, or a more suitable home for dogs.......
UPDATE TIME:
I was contacted on Thursday by Larissa from the Greene County Humane Society. She shared some beautiful pictures with me of Mocha and her new family!
A couple from Louisiana, Brittany Shyanne Jones and Cody Montana Gathright, had moved to Greene County when Cody secured employment here. However, after an extensive search, the couple were unable to find rental housing that would accept pets, and the couple decided to move back to Louisiana. For Mocha.
Brittany has seen Mocha and her story on Petfinders.com, and came to the GCHS to meet her.
It was love at first sight.
Mocha, formerly shy with strangers and very wary, rolled over on her back at meeting the couple, tail wagging wildly. They agreed that she was the pooch for them, filled out the required paperwork and welcomed their new family member into their hearts and home. Even though she will living far away, Mocha’s ending is a very happy one indeed.
I hope to be able to report the same for Jazz...
Check out the frisky version of Jazz HERE...
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