I asked Jill, who is a volunteer and Foster for Maryland Bichon Frise Rescue, if I could share Hadley’s story with you. You might need to keep some tissues on hand, but stick with the story; it’s worth it.
Almost a year ago, Jill was one of a group trying to locate a bichon who had escaped his home a week before. Here’s her initial report from that time:
“There were several sightings of the bichon…as I was on my way to meet the owner, the dog crossed my path on the road! He was seen in many different places, but we always seemed to be one step behind him. Finally, some young boys spotted him. Thankfully (and luckily!) the dog got himself entrapped within a large fenced-in yard. It took another two hours to get him into a crate, but once we had him in that yard we knew we would get him.
“From there, we raced him to the emergency veterinary hospital where we were in for a huge surprise … and disappointment! This was NOT the bichon of the owner I was working with!”
Breaking in here for a moment — most of the regional organizations affiliated with BFCA Bichon Rescue have protocols in place for lost animals, and make every effort to reunite lost dogs with their families. To continue with Hadley’s story…
“Hadley and I spent over six hours at the veterinary hospital. The biggest challenge was removing the filthiest, grossest, most matted, debris and insect-filled coat I have ever seen! Plus he was full of the BIGGEST and FATTEST ticks any of us (vets included) ever saw! Part of the coat on his chest was ripped off because it had been so matted and must have gotten stuck on something and just tore off! There were pieces of twig underneath layers of coat and matts that were embedded into him.
“We estimate his age to be between 3-5 years and that he was out on his own possibly for months having to scavenge for food, protect himself from predators, avoid being hit by cars as he crossed streets, and deal with being alone and scared all day and night.
“What is interesting is that when he goes outside (only in the secure fenced yard), he will not move! He stands absolutely still and does not walk or run. He puts his face into the breeze and turns his head…but other than that he just stands totally still.”
Breaking in again. Hadley isn’t wearing a fancy sweater here. That’s an Anxiety Wrap, an invention born from the theories of Temple Grandin’s “Hug Box” and Tellington Touch combined. At this point, which was about two weeks after his entry into rescue, he was still very frightened.
That was 11 months ago. Did it work? Jill sent me this update last night:
“Thanks for asking about Hadley. He continues to amaze me and make me smile. He works so hard at improving…
“Hadley was scared of EVERYTHING (including himself!) at that time. It took a long time and a lot of different strategies to help Hadley deal with his anxieties…and I continue to deal with them. Thank heavens for the Anxiety Wrap! The first time I put it on him…in conjunction with doing T-Touch…he fell asleep on my chest.
“This was amazing because before that, he had a hard time sleeping in his bed or special “den” that he made for himself. He was still in his “ever-ready survival” mode that he had when living on his own in the woods (along with coyote, fox, etc.), so he couldn’t ever relax.
“Most important is that Hadley spends more time smiling, happy and with his tail high over his back and wagging, and much less time with it between his legs as he cowers and races all hunched over to hide in his den! He likes to play and blitz with his brother Charley and with toys, and enjoys running around the backyard with me (but he has to be on lead because he still doesn’t like to come inside and will stay out for hours or even days…I still have to work on that! And for a dog that would go absolutely ballistic when he would SEE a leash (and that lasted for 8 months or so), one day he just let me put a leash on him and since that moment he walks PERFECTLY on lead! It makes no sense to me…but he watches every move I make and heels perfectly. I guess when it is time for him to learn something, he does it 1000%.
“It is a long, slow process but I keep seeing improvements and can tell that he is much happier and much calmer than he had been. He is the sweetest little guy and I cannot wait until all of that scary stuff from his background is way, way back in the depths of his memories and not quite so “on the surface”.”
Breaking in one last time. As I said, this is another reason that Fosters are so important. Sometimes a dog needs extra help and the loving guidance of a Foster family. Had Jill not known these special methods to alleviate Hadley’s anxiety, he might not have had this chance.
I’m especially glad that the Fosters, as a group, are so willing to share information and resources to make every dog happier, healthier and ready for their new loving homes.
We’ll never know what forces caused Hadley to be out there all on his own. Maybe he ran off; perhaps he was deliberately left behind. I can’t help but think that there was another force that brought him to Jill’s care.