BUSTER
|
||||
| We rescued Buster believing that there was a strong possibility that he would remain unadoptable. He has a history of abuse that left him paralyzed with fear. He does not bite; merely retreats into a ball in the corner of his dirt yard.
His former owner took him in hoping he would improve over time, however, he was never allowed in the house and had little human contact so his isolation only made matters worse; even she could not get him to come to her. We simply could not leave him there regardless of his adaptability. Fully expecting to have to physically carry him and watch carefully for panic-driven bolting behavior, we met just a brief ride from his new temporary home where a staff member planned on working with and trying to help him. Much to our delight, as soon as Buster was out of the environment he was in, he was fine! Granted he's never been walked or driven any where and the real world is a mystery to him, yet Buster has demonstrated a healthy curiosity about his new surroundings and has had no problems with a very large and diverse pack of canines. He's a bit tenative on the indoor tile which is quite different than the dirt he's used to but that's quickly becoming a non issue. He accepts petting and does not retreat from his committed foster Mom. He seems to be smiling all of the time! We're now optimistic about his future. He's only about three years old, said to be house broken and still has several baths in his future before he will be clean. He'll also be vetted, chipped and neutered but is well on his way to being someone's faithful companion. Once we're satisfied with his live-in evaluation we'll be looking for a foster home in Phoenix (he's in Tucson) with possibly only one other female dog so that he can learn to be a real family member. Please watch for photos and updates on this precious creature with a new lease on life. UPDATE 4/24: What a wonderful surprise our boy Buster has been! When his foster Mom calls him he flies from wherever he is and skids to a screeching halt at her feet. He smiles all the while he's being brushed, rolls over and asks for a belly rub. He's obviously a very grateful guy.
Buster is currently living with a Cesar-Milan type pack which might be providing a sense of security and familiarity for him. After all, it's humans that have done him wrong and he shared his yard with two other dogs. That said, he willingly approaches and greets strange human visitors. His former owner said that he was only walked once but was too timid to try again. We'll see, he has yet to tuck his tail once since we've had him. Leash training will be our next challenge. He is also said to do well with children young and old as well as small dogs but was never really given the opportunity to get close to the cat. Buster has been described as the shy and sensitive type so it's hard to take his picture.
We would like to see him in a more conventional family setting in order to start socializing him in the real world in the hope that he continues to blossom. Please let us know if you have the time, patience and experience to give Buster that opportunity. He will be vetted and possibly neutered before coming to Phoenix. UPDATE 5/9: We really wanted to get Buster out, on leash (he's said to "freeze") and in a more public setting to see if he's mustered any new confidence but our Tucson staff has been spread a bit too thin to find the time. So Buster has a "date", cold turkey, with an interested party this weekend. We're eager to see if he surprise us yet again or it's back to the drawing board! Please check back to find out..... UPDATE 5/14: Buster's meeting had to be postponed until next week; his interested party was unexpectedly summoned to work on the day they were to meet. Buster continues to prove that he is far more sound than we were led to believe. He eagerly and happily greets strangers, and has responded normally to some testing that his foster Mom has done; no over reaction to metal pans being dropped on the floor thus demonstrating no noise sensitivity, she popped an umbrella open right in front of him which he appropriately approached and sniffed (some dogs fail the standard temperament test on this one)and generally seems pretty comfortable in his own skin now. She has even taken him to work at a vet clinic with no adverse behavior. The big test will be out in public on leash but just as with any puppy, he will be gradually introduced to the universe outside of his current home. With baby steps, we think he'll do fine. Life is definitely looking up for Buster. UPDATE 5/20: We're shooting for Buster's showing on Thursday, May 22nd. His foster Mom, however, has been under the weather so we'll just wait and see..... UPDATE 5/24: Our furry little guy met a prospective family and did very well. They, in turn, fell in love with his gentle and affectionate nature. He still has yet to meet their cats so that remains to be seen. We are in the process of scheduling his neuter, vaccinations and microchip after which he'll be ready for that test. Currently he's ignoring the resident kitty but he hasn't had the opportunity to be loose while more than one is on the run ;-) His possible parents are working on some fencing issues which are scheduled to be resolved around the same time Buster will be ready to move. One thing is for sure; thanks to several very caring and optimistic staff members, what we feared might be a permanent "project" dog has turned out to be a youngster with a very positive future! Please watch for what we hope will be a happy ending. UPDATE 5/30: We've decided that we would rather have Buster recuperate from his neuter surgery in what might be his forever home, so as soon as the family completes their fence project he will be moved into a foster-to-adopt situation with them. This will provide all involved two weeks to see how well he settles into full time indoor living and gets along with the cats. If all goes as expected, he will be neutered at the conclusion of the two week period and his adoption finalized. For now, it's "hurry n wait"...... JUNE 9th: We've been advised that the new fence installation is to be completed by June 10th. The Dad in the family will be meeting Buster as well, so we're still waiting to see how it all plays out. If, for any reason this does not go as planned, we'll be looking for a very special foster home in Phoenix for this very special boy. Please stay tuned.... UPDATE 6/12: Our star student was moved into his new foster-to-adopt home today where he was welcomed with open arms. He and the visiting Rat Terrier are doing fine and the cats, for now, have disappeared. We'll know in two weeks or less if he's staying permanently......we're hopeful '-)
UPDATE 7/3: In less than 24 hours after moving into his new home, Buster was observed laying on the couch with one cat laying across his paws and another on top of the couch with her tail draped over him. He goes for daily walks and is excellent on leash. His only big fear, water coming from a hose, was immediately put to rest when his family bathed him with a hose last week...amazing what trust can do. His family says he is the "perfect dog" and they are grateful to have found him. What's that line...."one man's trash is another man's treasure?" Buster's neuter is scheduled for the week of July 7th..he's a keeper! Adoption fee $250.00.
| ||||
