By Melanie Townsend
Brendy came in our foster system as a feral momma dog found in an abandoned barn with her puppies. Her puppies were rescued but she was difficult to catch and had to be trapped to get her the care she needed. She was HW+ and would need some long-term treatment and a lot of TLC to help her learn that humans were not all bad people. It was obvious that she had been severely abused and was very scared of all people. Her soul had been beaten down and her hope was all but gone. It took several weeks before she would let me touch her without hunkering down and not running into her crate to hide. Little by little she began to trust me but it would take almost 4 months for her to feel safe enough to take a treat from my hand. (She feels safest eating her food inside her crate with the door open.)
As fearful of humans as Brendy is, she has so many great qualities!!! She loves playing with other dogs, especially chase if there is a ball involved. She loves playing with the other rescue puppies and will wrestle for hours with them and play “steal the toys.” She does very well with my cat, they have mutual respect for each other and have even been known to sit together on the sofa. Brendy loves to ride in the car! She is not fearful of the vacuum cleaner or other household noises, its just people that give her the most fear. I am sure there are some bad memories in her head of something terrible that was done to her in the past. It will take the right family to be patient with her to earn her trust. She is very non-aggressive but will bark at the door if she hears something outside. She is crate trained and makes it all through the night without going potty. If kept on a regular schedule she is great about not having accidents in the house. She will walk on a leash but if other people are around will get scared and try to run. She feels safe in her crate and in the beginning, I am sure that is where she will be until she is safe enough to come out and sit on the sofa. She needs and wants love so much! She now comes up to my chair to ask for pets and love. She is also trained to come back with a beep collar.
As her foster mom, I will have a place in my heart for her always, but I know she deserves to have her own family and if I can get this far with her I know someone else that loves her can too. She will do best in a house without young or loud children but would do great if there is another dog to give her courage.
In the mornings when it’s time to go outside Brendy springs up and down like a bunny, she has a smile on her face when she gets relaxed and feels safe. I know there are good humans out there that will build on all the progress she has made, just be patient and show her love and kindness, she will love you back and be a forever family member.
If you are interested in Brendy, please email lamaanimalrescue@gmail.com .
