Adopt a Shar Pei / Rottweiler / Mixed (short coat)

“Hapless, Happy” Hya(cinth) 

This is the story of special needs dog name Hyacinth, or as we like to call her:  Hya. 

Dogs are amazingly resilient animals that can withstand a large amount of physical and emotional neglect and abuse yet rarely allow it to have a permanent impact on their lives.  Once they feel safe, comfortable, and fed; they put behind them the negative aspects in their past that most humans would have great difficulty doing.

In rescue, since many of the dogs we meet don’t come with a written or verbal history, we can only learn about them through observation and interaction.

Hya came to us through a southern Ohio animal shelter as an adult dog.  We estimated her age to be about 8 years old and her breed to be a Shar Pei and Rottweiler mix.  She weighs in at about 60 pounds.

Early observations revealed that Hya loves attention and was eager to interact with people.  She was, however, not at all interested in meeting or being near other dogs.  She barked and growled at other dogs and tried to drag anyone walking her on a leash towards any dog she might see.   Being in the same house with other dogs was seemingly impossible without barriers.  This is a trait not unusual in some dogs and can be mostly overcome with training.

Over a period of time, while in foster care, Hya acted out by trying to bite at people that touched her in certain areas of her body.  This is an obvious sign that she is telling us not to touch her.  But why?  Did this area hurt?  Did someone once handle her roughly at one time; she remembers this and doesn’t want it to happen again?  It’s not easy to diagnose.  Dogs can withstand an enormous amount of pain and show no outward signs until the pain is debilitating.  Since she came with no history; we have no idea what people may have done to her.

Despite the limited budget our group has; we were able to get x-rays done on Hya that revealed why she acted out.  She suffers from degenerative disc disease in her spine.  But worse than that; she has several BB’s lodged in her body in various areas.  Below the skin, and under the fur; they are not noticeable.  Pain management would help ease some of her discomfort, but she would still be leery of being touched in areas that would historically be painful.

So, faced with a dog that doesn’t like other dogs and has a potential of trying to bite someone who she perceives may harm her, what do we do with her?  The easy answer, of course, is to put her down.  Recognizing that she will always have some kind of physical discomfort that will only get worse over time and knowing that just seeing other dogs stresses her out; does she have much of a chance at a happy life?  Devoting limited financial and human resources on a dog with serious issues can mean that other dogs without issues may not get the help they need.  We also have to be ever mindful of the liability of adopting out a dog that is known to try and bite people.

Maybe we should try and give her a little more time by working with her through an experienced dog trainer and Vet?  This is, at best, a long road that takes time, patience, and dedicated people to volunteer their time.

For the moment, the second option is what we are trying to do.  But since there is currently no fosters available that can bring Hya into their home and she has to spend most of her time in a kennel; this greatly slows down our ultimate goal in rescue: finding a forever, happy home.  For that, we need to reach out to dog lovers with true kindness and patience in their hearts.

We need a person who believes having a loving dog in their home that also needs special handling is worth it. 

We need a person who believes in continuing non-aversive training methods to help Hya understand that other dogs are not a threat to her. 

We need a person who will be diligent in managing her aches and pains through proper Vet care.

We need a person willing to accept the responsibility of opening their heart and home to a special dog that will ultimately reward them with loyalty and love.

Are you that person?

Hya's adoption fee is $50 and includes free training with a professional trainer!!