Pet Adoption Stories
A Troubled Shelter Dog Finds a Home
Pamela J. Reid, Ph.D., ASPCA
On a warm and promising New York City spring day, ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) department officer Diane DiGiacomo investigated a reported sighting of a “pretty little red dog” who appeared to be starving. Within minutes, DiGiacomo was standing in the doorway of a Brooklyn apartment, where she found a snarling, emaciated pit bull cowering in a cramped airline crate. Her owner admitted that he didn’t have time for the dog, and that he did not often walk her. DiGiacomo rushed “Precious” to the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.
At the hospital, veterinary technicians skillfully muzzled the still-growling Precious so she could be examined. After a few weeks in their care, she had blossomed into a gorgeous—but still distrustful—dog. Upon release to the “A’s” Animal Placement department, Precious refused to come out of her cage to be walked. When she tried to bite an ASPCA shelter veterinarian, she was sent to the Behavior Center for an evaluation. There, a team of behavior counselors, including me, put Precious through a series of tests to see what triggered her aggression. We found that Precious did not like to be touched at all, and that she became very aggressive if she felt cornered, such as when someone approached her kennel.
We began behavior modification procedures called desensitization and counter-conditioning. Numerous times each day, Precious was touched briefly and then given a tasty treat. The objective was to teach her to enjoy being touched, in anticipation of treats. Once the dog got to know the staff, she trusted us completely. We then had to tackle the experience of strangers touching her. We used a “clicker” to train Precious to willingly put her face into a basket muzzle. Once she was muzzled, we could safely ask strangers to pet and feed her. This worked quite well, although she never learned to feel comfortable on the veterinarian’s table. We also had limited success teaching her to sit and greet people approaching her kennel. If she didn’t know the person, she was still inclined to bark and growl.
We decided that Precious would benefit from a stay with one of our participating “behavior foster” trainers. For a modest stipend funded by ASPCA donors, select trainers volunteer to take needy dogs into their homes for a few weeks of more intensive training, where any problems that might crop up once the dog is adopted can be discovered beforehand. Deb Norman, co-owner of Y2K9s, a dog training facility in Philadelphia, became her foster caregiver. Precious settled comfortably into her new home. Norman regularly took Precious out to meet strangers and to her veterinary clinic for “social visits.” After six weeks, Norman described her as “devoted, smart, affectionate and willing,” and concluded that Precious was ready to be placed up for adoption.
But back in New York City, Precious’s progress deteriorated. In her kennel, she couldn’t cope with people looking in at her. It was clear that she wasn’t going to endear herself to potential adopters this way, so the decision was made to transfer her to the Chenango County Animal Shelter, where there are larger kennel runs. We hoped the extra space would help Precious feel more comfortable during viewing.
Sadly, the move didn’t appeal to Precious. She degenerated into a dangerous dog. Shelter personnel were frightened of her and, after three months, Precious was slated for euthanasia. But then one staff member, named Sarah, read the glowing report that Norman had submitted about the dog—and wondered what had happened to the “wonderful” Precious that it described. Confident that the dog’s true personality could shine through, she decided to bring Precious home. Six months later, Sarah said, “I couldn’t ask for a better dog.” Precious adores her, is inseparable from her other dog, Sid, and gets along with Sarah’s boyfriend and three cats. She still shows signs of her former self—she’s not always comfortable with strangers, and she doesn’t like going to the veterinary clinic. Most of her days, however, are spent cuddling with Sarah or ripping up stuffed toys with Sid.
Indeed, for a truly difficult case, this is the happiest of endings.
Reprinted from ASPCA Animal Watch, Spring 2004, Vol. 24, No. 1, with permission from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 424 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128-6804
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