Day Three

There has been SO much support from SO many people for Dos and her recovery. I want to hug each and every one of you with all that I've got. To know that there are people out there that are good restores my faith in humanity. I want to personally thank the Reddit community, which overwhelmed my inbox and email with offers of help, donations to her veterinary care, toys, and food. I am seriously touched, and although she can't hear, I read every single comment to Dos. APA will be setting up a donation link today at some point and I will post it. 
Love to all of you. Keep on keepin on.:)

We've made it to day three-which is a good sign. I know that there's still a chance the HeartGuard could affect her negatively, but this morning, bright and early 6am, I opened her crate door, and although she wasn't able to pull herself entirely up, she was making an effort to get up and out of the crate on her own, and looking almost excited.

After helping her to get up and out of the crate, she did manage to hobble over to the porch again, where she had claimed her new bed the night before. (pics below:) )

I brought her food to her on the porch. She wasn't terribly interested in eating, and I'm hoping  it's because she has some nutrients in her now, and maybe she's realizing the food will keep coming and she won't have to worry about getting fed.

She didn't pee yet this morning, but we'll try again (and update again!) in a bit.

Dos claimed one of our dog's beds as her own. Make yourself at home, Dos.

It's late in the evening, and I just got home from working 12 hours. I worked much of the day, meaning my boyfriend (Michael-the loving soul that he is, he has a magic touch with even the most fearful of animals.....he saved a newborn squirrel earlier this year, but that's another story.) was with Dos for most of the day.

Dos is frightened of men. She doesn't have the strength to react and run right now, but it's obvious the interactions she's had in her past, so I was worried that leaving her alone with him at this pivotal time in her life might be traumatic.

When I got home, Dos was stretched out on the porch, laying on her side, looking more comfortable than she has been since she's been with us.

I asked Michael how she did.

He said all she wanted to do was stretch out on the porch. He took her to the grass to go to the bathroom, and she pulled(slightly, but its a step!) to get onto the porch. The fact that she was pulling at all was a sign of regaining physical strength (AWESOME!).  After going to the bathroom, Michael let her go to the porch. She climbed the two stairs to the porch, sniffed around for a moment, and found herself a place to stretch out-and Michael said she stayed there all day, stretched out, between the sun and shade of the afternoon sun, just relaxing, just being a dog. Just. Being. A. Dog.


Michael mixed up her food for her, a mix of dry puppy food, roast beef, and chicken breast, and delivered it to her on the porch. He placed it right between her paws. She looked up at him for a moment, in suprise, as if to say thank you.

She wouldn't eat until he walked away, but it was an exersize in trust.

We let her be after she ate-she fell into yet another deep sleep with breathing intermittent between shallow breath and hard, labored breathing. I watched her for a while, until she began breathing steadily.


I then went inside for a drink.

I was inside less than a minute, and when I walked back out, she had left her cozy porch spot.  Where had she gone?! I panicked for a moment, and then realized, wherever she was going, it wasn't fast.

I found her, taking herself to the bathroom.  I watched her from afar.  Again, fellow dog people will know how important this is..pooping AND peeing! And she WALKED HERSELF TO THE GRASS!!! We were astounded!! We showered her with praise when she finished and hobbled over to the driveway where she proceeded to lay down. I started to rub her side, and then her belly, when lo and behold, she turned over on her back for a full on bellyrub.  I was in utter disbelief.  Not only did that belly rub HAPPEN, she decided to use the driveway to scratch her back...for almost four straight minutes until she made her way slowly back to her spot on the porch....and then.....she climbed into my chair...and made herself comfortable..


SHE CLIMBED INTO MY CHAIR! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!? She could barely WALK two days ago!,

We have progress. One step closer to trust, one step closer to feeling loved, one step closer to just being a dog.