Butters Hound Mix Scranton, PA

4-20-20 - An even BETTER YET update on our sweet boy Butters from his foster mom: "Butters has really come a long way. He is now social with all of his foster family. He gets along with all the pets in the house..but he is still being taught by his furry foster siblings how to play..he is a bit rough sometimes. He is eating GREAT...sits when asked...really coming along with being a happy dog. He likes to snuggle now...sleeps all night. He however does not do well crated. It stresses him and he remains anxious even after he is let out. He will need time love and patience to keep him feeling secure in a new home. He is a beautiful and sweet dog."
3-03-20 - For those of you who are following Butters' story...here is a very positive update for all. Now... let's see some applications start coming in. We did receive a few applications from people with very young children but we are trying not to place him kids since he did develop bad habits in his former home with stealing food from the children. We don't want him to revert back to his old ways now that he is coming along so nicely in his foster home.
PLEASE DO KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS UPDATE WAS RECEIVED ONLY TEN DAYS AFTER BUTTERS ARRIVED AT HIS FOSTER HOME. HE IS DOING WONDERFUL AND SHOWING GREAT IMPROVEMENT IN HIS BEHAVIOR. GOOD BOY, BUTTERS!! HE IS NO LONGER IN NEED OF A FOSTER HOME BUT WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO FINALLY FIND A "FOREVER" HOME OF HIS VERY OWN. WE ARE THANKFUL THAT HIS CURRENT FOSTER HOME WILL BE ALLOWING HIM TO STAY UNTIL HIS ADOPTERS FIND HIM.

Here is what foster mom has to say: "At this time...Butters has stopped jumping on the table...stove etc. We believe he was hungry ? so we are feeding him 2 normal size meals as well as 1 or 2 small meals ...especially before bedtime. He is interested at the dinner table but.... we tell him "paws down" and after a few times he lays at my feet quietly.
He potties outside..goes to the appropriate area to let me know he wants out. He will, as well, pace and stare if he needs to go. We have been using a firm "NO, SIT" with the humping...it is lessening with the dogs. If he persists with me...I get up and walk away..he seems to be getting the message.
He is not as assertive as he was. He still tends to get nippy at times..... .we believe he is trying to play but is awkward at it. He is beginning to get comfortable with other members of the family, including his foster dad. We only crate him when we leave the house..he is a bit anxious at first but he seems to be calming down. Someone does try to check in on him during the day. He has not messed in his crate for several days now. We are very proud of him. He still tends to be a loner most of the time. He is very sweet..we have seen no aggression and the incessant barking tantrums have stopped. He has made great strides in the very short time that he has been in foster with us. We believe that he would be okay with one dog friend...he likes to run when it's only he and our husky...but won't play when there are more dogs outside with them. He does play with his toy...we supervise due to his past history of ingesting foreign objects.But, we again feel that some of his behavior was due to hunger..he seems so much better eating several times a day."
If you would like to submit an Adoption Application for Butters, you can do so on our website at OneLifeToLiveRescue.com. He really is a wonderful dog with a lot of potential!!
2-27-20 - This is Butters. And, this is his story of how he has come to be "The dog who REALLY needs a friend".
Phase One: This sweet boy was surrendered to a kill shelter in SC when he, and his litter mates were very young. He did NOT spend any time directly in the shelter but was fostered by a very knowledgeable foster mom who did a GREAT job with the pups.
Phase Two: Butters arrived on transport on May 19, 2019 and went directly into one of our "puppy" foster homes where he flourished. He was a normal, healthy puppy and was loved by all.
Phase Three: Butters was adopted on 6-05-19 to an approved home who told us that they were ready for a puppy. But, this was not the case. The adopter actually admitted to us, upon his return to rescue on 2-22-20, that she made a huge mistake and never should have adopted a puppy. The family was not in agreement with taking care of Butters and it did not sound as if he received what he needed to thrive and to grow into a well adjusted dog. Due to his emotional trauma and lack of training... he now has several unwanted behaviors which were mentioned in the "special needs" section of this post. He is also extremely thin as you can see in his pictures which were taken on the day he was returned to rescue. Butters became extremely ill once he arrived at his new foster home. He had to be seen at an Urgent Care facility two days after his arrival for extreme GI symptoms. At the time we had x-rays done, an ultrasound, blood work and a 4DX to test for Lyme disease. Everything was good. On that same day, Butters did pass quite a few things through his digestive tract that he should not have eaten..one of them being a fairly large squeaker from a toy. We got him on several medications and he now appears to be doing much better. However, his foster home does not feel that they can help him and sadly, we have to agree. BUTTERS NEED A NEW PLACE TO GO ASAP. He needs a much quieter home with fewer dogs and someone who is home more who can spend a lot of time with him. Butters is already neutered, micro-chipped and up-to-date with mostly all vaccinations including Lyme and Lepto.
Special needs
Due to lacking in the social skills and life skills he needed to learn when he was a growing pup, Butters is going to need a true friend now. He will need a person who can devote a lot of time and attention to him in order for him to feel safe and secure. He will need someone who is willing to work to understand his needs and accept him for who he is. Butters has a lot of undesirable behaviors at the present time. BUT HE IS NOT AGGRESSIVE in any way. He is constantly scavenging for food, getting up on furniture where he should stay off of, having some potty accidents in the house and will resort to humping, other dogs and/or his human on an extremely stressful day. Butters needs a friend. He did not receive what he needed in his prior adoptive home and his foster mom at the present time has discovered that she does not have the right circumstances for him either. Please help Butters if you can.
Phase Four: And, soon... his "happily-ever-after" part of his short life will start. Our Butters is going to be adopted with a guarantee of training with a local Animal Behaviorist who would like to see this dog recover from his sad start in life and learn how to be a happy, trusting, loving companion. This training would cost hundreds of dollars if you were to pay for it yourself. The trainer was heart-broken when he heard of Butters' sad story and he offered to help. This training is not your normal "obedience" training but rather a type of training that will help you bond with your new dog.
If you feel that you are the person who would like to be a TRUE FRIEND to a dog in need, please complete our online application at www.OneLifeToLiveRescue.com. We won't lie to you and tell you it will be an easy road. But BUTTERS IS NOT AGGRESSIVE AT ALL. His issues are all behavioral and he is YOUNG. He just turned a year of age. This can all be corrected with some TLC and we are hoping that we can find the right match for this dog. Please call Debbie at 570-341-1997 if you would like to know more about the training offer and Butters's suggested adoption donation. But, please submit the application before you call and be ready to make an all out commitment. Thank you. Butters may not be the dog for everyone... but, we know that his person is out there looking for him. We are hoping to be able to keep him from going to a boarding facility which may wind up being our only option if an adopter is not found very soon. So this is truly an urgent plea for help. Going into a kennel environment is only going to make matters worse. Happy, happy news!! 4-25-20 - Butters has FINALLY found his "forever" home. He was adopted today and he will be spending the "happily-ever-after" part of his life in Forest City, PA!!