Lucy Part 2: Adapting to life as a "Dog", and finding my real family

So, to continue my story I could talk for days about my time in my foster home... it got harder before it got easier. Every single day was different and it depended on how I was feeling, how my foster family was feeling, and the obstacles that "popped up" to slightly set me backwards at times. After all I was couped up in a cage for 4 years this was terrifying.

No one knew right away how I was going to turn out, but my foster parents knew that they didn't care what anyone said, because they were going to help me, and that was it. Everyone they knew said things to them, even family.
"Why would you bother trying if shes already damaged..."
"Shes hopeless don't you think... Look at her she just shakes"
"Why does she act like that, can she even remember what happened to her?"
"Poor poor Lucy, I feel so bad, I pity her, sad little broken doggie..."

Of course they had their doubts, but it was a good thing that others doubted them too, because it made them want to prove every body who says that animals who are abused are "damaged" and "cant be fixed" wrong. They had never seen a little dog as damaged as me before. In fact, even with the German Shepherd Rescue that they volunteer for on the weekends, they still had never seen a dog as damaged as myself and my sisters- where we could not even make eye contact without soiling ourselves. In fact, I cried. Big huge crocodile tears would run down my face whenever a human approached... pure fear. Another thing that Kailey & Corey had never seen, which set Kailey back a little because usually she can forget our past to help us move forward and this time it was really hard to forget.

Other than crocodile tears, the first two weeks consisted of me pacing frantically, with my tail tucked up to my chin when my crate was not around. (They realize now that they took it away too fast) and that they should have left it downstairs a lot longer, and only had me out an hour or two a day to start.. but that was not how they did it. They blocked off some areas downstairs and let me explore, which all in all I did okay with solely because of the other dogs. Rumor had it that Roxie, my German Shepherd Foster sister, is the dog version of the Dog Whisperer, with little dogs (if you can grasp that tongue twister!) Boy was that rumor true. If I was not pacing around frantically looking for my crate I was glued to her before any of the humans. If she was laying, I would come near her and try to curl up in her tummy with my ears back and my whole body trembling just looking for comfort. I needed her and loved her immediately, she made me feel safe (after all I was use to being crammed in a 5x5 crate laying on top of 6-7 other dogs at any given time).

Finally my foster parents started picking me up... I would stretch out my legs and stiffen up like a board paralyzed from fear. They learned quick that I winced very badly and cried when they touched my neck (Kailey thinks its because when they were ready to breed me, or pre-maturely remove me from a litter to sell my babies to a pet store they would yank my neck really hard and toss me... she has seen videos of it ). Eventually they cut up some old sheets and made a sling type of contraction,(Mommy's know it as a baby body wrap). This was so they could hold me close whenever they were home no matter what they did, and get me use to human touch.

Corey was the person I clung to at first. It was at that time that I started crying in my cage at night (I hadn't made a peep yet except whimpers). I wanted to be near him but I was scared, so he blocked off an area by the coffee table with pillows and blankets so I could lay close enough to see him, but not touch, and the pillow walls made me feel like I was in a deluxe crate so I relaxed a little. Then, he cleared off his night stand and put my crate next to him right by his head... this was CLOSE, but again, I wanted to be near him however I was just so scared of it. They understood that and tried to respect it, but at the same time encourage more human interaction so Kailey would lay with me, and pet me and kiss me (which was weird) and eventually I stopped wincing when she touched my neck.





About a month later, I was up to date on all my shots, was healing from my surgery to get "fixed", and because of malnutrition I even had some teeth pulled and was healing from that as well. However I was finally eating better since Corey bought me soft food to entice me. I was even going to the bathroom (sometimes in the house unfortunately). You see, I didn't eat for the first 3 days, or go #2 when I was outside because I did not really get food or water in the puppy mill. They fed us water through a gerbil feeder that goes on the outside of a cage... just enough to stay alive and breed over and over and over and over... But I was coming around. I really was, and I was transitioning my human need for attention to Kailey, so when she would leave the room I got restless and paced, but when she returned I would relax and sleep and take this big deep sigh of relief like I was finally feeling a little safer. I still had a lot of work to do on the leash, I was really really scared outside it's so BIG out there, I just wanted to walk and run but they did not want to rush that so forced me to stay outside in one area for the time being to adjust.

As I explored more, I reacted more to things. Kailey taught me how to go up and down stairs and for DAYS that is all I did. Up and down, down and up, up and down up and down... back and forth, for hours on the stairs. When I would sniff something, if it moved I would jump out of my skin and hide, sometimes I accidentally knocked things over and WOW did that set me back, I would not leave my crate for hours. The noises were just too much for me. Slow and steady, They would bring me to families houses and get me interacting. I was not wincing, crying, having accidents or shaking, but I wasn't too interested either. Still, they told me that was great progress.
Finally, families were starting inquiring about me on www.nutsformuttsrescue.com where Kailey posted a short Bio about me. They drove to the center every weekend to meet families, and introduce me... but my foster parents were really apprehensive of everyone they met, telling several families all the details and behavioral habits both good and bad to get a feel for what they were willing to do to help my development. About 5 families later, Kailey got an inquire from a man named Holden Cohen, and his application to adopt seemed to good to be true...

Holden stated the necessary things, has a family, travels to and from Rochester to Florida, who his vet was, where he lived... then he said he had two rescue Chi's already in his home and that he was looking for a dog to belong more to Tanya (part of the family) but that would be his too, so that the Chis could all interact together... she figured she would let them meet me.

That weekend Tanya, Holden, and his mother came to the rescue center to meet me. My foster parents were reluctant, they had not met anyone yet that could handle me and not look at me as a burden eventually. They really wanted to get me adopted too because there is a train near their house and it was the biggest set back I experienced when going potty outside, it would disrupt me for days, so they knew I needed a place to finally lay my head and call "home" for good... after all- I did survive Hell I deserved it! Kailey let Tanya Hold me and I am not sure how I knew, but I did. She was my mom. I fell asleep in her arms, snuggled up, and was completely relaxed... my foster family was stunned.

After telling them all the good... and "bad".. things about me they just looked at my foster mom and said "that's great, we don't mind, when can we have her? shes gorgeous", so they set up a home visit for the next day, and pending their approval they were to leave me with my potential new family. That night I heard my foster family talking a lot about how this could really work out but they were scared to leave me after being with me for two months now. I wanted to prove to them that this was right so I did the unthinkable that evening, my last night with them... I pulled my tail out from under my legs, and played with a toy for the very first time in my whole entire life.

Long story short- everything went great. They were equipped with a new crate, clothing, sweaters, beds, pillows, and love. Holden even extended his generosity so far as to donate more than my adoption fee to help the rescue, it couldn't have worked out better. With a few tears, hugs and kisses- they left me with my new family.

Tanya keeps in touch with Kailey quite a bit, she even took me to see her when she was volunteering at the rescue once! I got a lot of love, and I am getting even more with my family. I've learned that I LOVE going outside, long walks are my favorite.I even have a "following" at the beach of ladies and doggies that like to say hi to me! I have never once had an accident in my new home, I really want to please them! Lastly My new brothers are amazing, just as spoiled as me, and every day I bring joy to my mom and my TAIL IS FINALLY WAGGING! 

Check out the followings photos my new mom took of me and sent to Kailey & Corey to show them some of the HUGE milestones in my life. Even if they may not seem huge to you, Its the little things that make my family happy, things I never got to experience as a "dog" before.

Here I am in a glam new dress my mom bought me, I like to show off my tutu's

Here I am falling asleep on my back in my moms arms... For those of you who dont know how HUGE this is, laying on our backs for a human is a sign of complete submission and trust. I LOVE MY MOM

Here I am walking like I do everyday... WITH MY TAIL UP... Yea, Ill show that confidence off

I love Car rides... and I dont want my mom to ever leave my side, here I am begging her to put me in!

The Moral of my story is that its up to YOU to help us. All it takes is one person willing to put something else before themselves. Besides, as my foster mom always says,

There is no joy, like the joy that comes from helping someone, or something, who you know can never repay you.

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Thank you to Holden & Tanya for changing this girls world. You two are saints, and you never allowed Lucy's past to affect her future and because of that she is a tail wagging, playing machine who loves to cuddle and love. The world is a better place because of Lucy, and you guys!