Socially Imperfect Resident - MARIA
Maria came to us as a stray from a rural shelter. She had refused to leave the dog house in the outside shelter enclosure and they didn't know anything about her personality. We took a risk on her and said sure we'd take her.
Well, Maria is a bit different. She's aloof. She has zero interest in pleasing humans. We are her slaves. We feed her, we clean up after her, and give her toys/treats. She accepts petting at times, other times she says she's not into it and that's that.
She will absolutely not walk on a leash. She thinks it's a torture device and I'm guessing her last owners were not nice about it. Even with treats, patience, and work she's not having it. She's a fighter and she will bite if she feels she must.
Maria is not a candidate for adoption, but she enjoys her life. She loves sun bathing, barking at the horses, and watching the birds/rabbits/squirrels. She's happy with her current life and we are ok with that.
Maria has no sponsor. $50 a month is all we ask to help us keep her happy with new toys, treats, and medical care as needed. Can you help?
Now, let me tell you a bit about our Socially Imperfect Residents Program:
We provide sanctuary for those socially awkward animals. Those who have overwhelming fear and anxiety of new people or places, and those who have triggers that sometimes make them lash out to defend themselves. As long as they pose no significant danger to their caretakers and we can keep them happy they will have a safe place to stay with us. I’m a socially awkward person. In crowds I can only tolerate so much before it exhausts me and I want to leave. If I was to ever be put in a shelter I could see myself being a shut down type or (more likely) one acting aggressive because of the fear/danger I see myself in. I’m not a social butterfly…does that mean I shouldn’t be allowed to live? Sadly, in the case of shelter dogs they often are the ones euthanized. The one rescues overlook because PEOPLE overlook them. People assume they ‘didn’t connect’ when meeting or looking at that specific dog, often that’s not the case. These dogs need a bit of time, a bit of TLC, and some understanding in order to start to connect. Most of the time if you give them a chance they turn out to be wonderful dogs. They may never want to go to a dog park, or go to a pet store, but they will be your most loyal companion and best friend at home. If a rescue takes one of these dogs in, some will euthanize because the dog needs time to adjust and they won’t give it the time, others will keep the dog and try to find a home for him/her no matter how long it takes. We’re one of the ones that makes a commitment to that dog. We will do whatever we can to keep the dog happy. This requires a long term commitment and sponsorship is always needed. Can you help?
