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Addie
Our sweet Addie girl has been simultaneously our most heartwarming and heartbreaking foster to date. TLC Pet Rescue saved her from being euthanized after she ended up in an overcrowded animal control center. She was terrified of just about everything; humans, loud noises, fast movements, doorways, toys, plastic bags. It took a few months and a lot of patience to help Addie come out of her shell. Every time she flinched at my hand, my heart broke a little bit, but the first time she took food from me, or sat next to me, or wagged her tail, my heart became so full again.
We took Addie into our home in May, and she was so fearful of us and confused by a home environment that she almost never left her crate. I brought food and water to the crate so she would feel safe enough to eat and drink (and when she ate, she INHALED her food!) To take her outside, we had to clip a leash on her and slowly coax her out of the crate. Even when she was outdoors, she kept her tail tucked between her legs for every walk, and we had to leave her outside for several minutes before she would use the bathroom. She was way too afraid to even do her business if she knew we were around.
Slowly, she started to explore our home. We had to be extra still and silent when she was walking around; a little cough or rustle was all it took to send her running back to her crate. She even scared herself a lot of the time by bumping into a door or stepping on a piece of paper. For weeks she was so afraid of doorways that she would freeze up and back out of her collar if we tried to bring her into a different room.
I once tried to give her a squeaky toy to play with and she was so terrified of the sound that she bolted into a corner and sat there, shaking in fear. I felt like the biggest jerk in the world.
Eventually, we started to see real progress with our Addie girl. The first time she wagged her tail on a walk, I cried and texted Colin with too many exclamation points to count. Eventually, she started to find other "safe" places in our house besides her crate and we put beds down in those corners to make her comfortable. She finally takes treats from our hands and will even sit next to ask and paw us for attention.
She still has a few more fears to overcome, but we have found things that she loves and she is gaining so much confidence! When it's time to eat in the morning, she does zoomies around our living room in excitement. When she sees me getting her leash, she runs to the door and howls until I take her for a walk. Dog friends are her favorite thing; she gets to run and stretch her legs and learn how to a dog!
I hate so deeply whoever caused her to grow up with so much fear, but I am thankful every single day that she was able to make it out and into our home. Addie has taught me how incredibly important it is to rescue, adopt, and foster. It's gonna be really hard to let go of her when she finds her forever home - she has made so much progress with us and if I was ready to stop fostering, I would take her in a heartbeat.
Athena (Addie) | 2 years old | Treeing Walker Coonhound