From Timid To Content

A few weeks ago, we posted the story of several sweet dogs that were pulled from the pound minutes before the pound was set to euthanize to make space.

One of those sweet babies was Pearl, a terrified little Chihuahua that was surrendered by her owner that same day.

Pearl was terrified, timid, and very insecure. She rarely left her crate voluntarily and would not allow me to touch her. Never aggressive, she would simply cower in the back of her crate when I would feed her or try to take her out for a walk.

As her foster mom, I spent the next few weeks trying to coax her into trusting me. She was quite decided, though, that she was not ready to trust again. The look in her eyes told me that she desperately wanted to trust. She wanted someone that would hold her and cuddle her and protect her. She wanted to believe that someone would come along that would never give up on her again. But she wasn't ready to believe that I was that person.

No, that person (people, actually) came into her life a few weeks later after seeing her picture on Petfinder. They drove almost an hour to visit her and spent hours sitting with her, talking to her, cuddling her, and reassuring her. They brought photos (framed 8 x 10 photos) of their other Chi baby at home. It was clear to me the moment I met them that they were the perfect family for my sweet foster girl. Apparently, it was clear to Pearl, as well. She had found her family. She was going home.

In the weeks since her adoption, Pearl has made tremendous strides in developing her trust and confidence. There is an almost carefree air about her now. She is clearly content in her new life. Her family keeps me updated with photos and stories every week. I love them for this. Because it is not necessarily easy to open up your home and your heart to these babies and then watch them walk back out of your life. But it is exceptionally rewarding to watch them find the families that will love and protect them the rest of their lives.

This is why we do what we do...

Want to be part of this kind of story? Even if you can't foster long term, you can still help. Email sunshine@bhsva.org to find out how.

Thank you to Pearl's dad, Gregg Wood, for sharing these wonderful photos. Visit http://www.gswshots.com/ for more of his amazing photography!