Going The Extra Mile
Story and Photos by Donna M. May, Down East Animal Refuge
Junior (above) and Lee (laying down) at home
SCOTLAND NECK NC – (Oct. 19) -- Smart thinking and dedication turned what could have been a tragic situation into one that had a happy ending for one of the dogs of Down East Animal Refuge.
During a routine transport, one of the shelter dogs, Junior, managed to jump through an open window from the vehicle at a gas stop in Leggett, NC. Knowing that Junior was a very shy dog made his recapture a real challenge.
After two days of placing kennels and food out, putting pictures up, and doing everything we could think of, Donna May, a DEAR volunteer came up with a novel approach to the situation. Having fostered Junior for several weeks, Donna knew his personality better than anyone. During his stay with Donna, she developed a method to teach simple commands such as come and stay by attaching the other end of Junior's lead to Lee, a more socialized dog. Junior had to follow the lead dog with whom he also bonded to learn his trainer's commands.
Witnesses spoke of only seeing this dog late at night. Donna devised a plan to make the dog more comfortable with a familiar friend. Late one evening, Donna with the assistance of Gra Whitehead and Lee (the other dog) traveled to Leggett to capture the dog. They sat in the van, put Lee on a lead line outside the vehicle and waited. Soon Junior soon appeared to visit his friend Lee. Donna was able to lure him by getting down on his level and waited for him to approach. Obviously tired and lost for two days, Junior slowly made his way to one of the few people he trusted and the dog that had been his companion.
We are happy to report that Junior is back at the shelter He is running and playing with the other dogs, and is no worse for his ordeal. Junior is a magnificent dog with a past history of little socialization which makes him more difficult to place in a home. With this in mind, Donna felt it was very important to get Junior back into a safe environment. He needs a family with lots of patience to build a bond of love and trust. An animal that has not been socialized in early adolescence requires a lot of time to build trust with his master or other animals.
DEAR provides a sanctuary for animals that have no safe loving family, and volunteers that will go the extra mile to help make that happen. Volunteers like Donna May and Gra Whitehead are dedicated to making life better for many dogs without a real home and family. For some of the DEAR dogs, the volunteers will be the only family they ever have.
DEAR would like to commend Gra and Donna on their willingness to go the extra mile to make sure that this story has a happy ending.