In September 2021, the ASPCA assisted with the rescue of 19 dogs, primarily young Beagle-mixes, and one cat from two properties in Pemiscot County, Missouri. The animals were found living in filthy, overcrowded conditions. Most of the dogs were closed off in a small bathroom covered in feces and urine and the property had dangerous levels of ammonia present. Additionally, many of the dogs were found underweight and suffering from untreated medical conditions including flea infestations, at least one eye infection, a fractured tooth, and one dog had an untreated foot fracture.
The dog found with the fracture was later named Louise Pickles. In addition to her injury, the nearly two-year-old Louise Pickles was extremely nervous and suffering from continuous tremors. She also had an infection of the middle ear, was missing patches of fur due to severe flea infestation, was underweight and tested heartworm positive.
Due to her extreme fear, Louise Pickles was transferred to the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center (BRC) in Weaverville, North Carolina, following her rescue. The BRC is a facility dedicated to rehabilitating severely fearful dogs to help them find homes.
When Louise Pickles arrived, she was completely shut down. During her first week in treatment at the BRC, she hid in her crate and trembled whenever a person was present. To help her become more confident, our Behavior Rehabilitation Specialists worked closely with her using positive reinforcement to introduce her to new people, places and things.
In addition to working on her confidence and making her feel more comfortable, the BRC veterinary staff also tended to Louise’s injuries and medical conditions. She had surgery to fix her fractured foot and began treatment for heartworm, her ear infection and fleas.
After 13 weeks in treatment, Louise Pickles had come leaps and bounds from the fearful dog she once was. She had healed beautifully from surgery, her infections cleared and her fur was also growing back.
“Louise Pickles was a joy to be around when she graduated from the program,” says Christine Young, a Behavior Rehabilitation Specialist who worked closely with Louise Pickles during her time at the BRC. “She was very affectionate with her familiar people, lying in laps and soliciting attention. She also really loved dogs and helped many other dogs still in treatment.”
Though still timid around new people and places, Louise Pickles was ready to find a loving home and the BRC felt confident that she would find just the right family. To help find the right home for her, she was transferred to the Nashville Humane Society, who renamed her Tilly to mark the big change in her life.
The Great Escape
Kathy and Barry T. were looking for a dog to bond with after the passing of their two older dogs when Barry decided to check out the Nashville Humane Society website and see if anyone caught his eye. That was where Barry spotted sweet Tilly, and soon enough, the couple went to meet her.
“It was Barry who chose her despite her profound fear at the Humane Society,” explains Kathy. “She was so terrified when we first saw her, Barry’s heart when out to her.”
When they first arrived home, Tilly ran to a corner and took hours to come out. Eventually, she warmed up enough to sleep on her bed on the couch and learned to use her dog door.
Unfortunately, shortly after adoption, while Kathy was watering plants outside, the unthinkable happened when Tilly got spooked and took off over their fence using a chair. While she stayed in the neighborhood, Kathy and Barry couldn’t get her to come home.
“She was around but out of reach,” says Kathy. “I was at wit’s end. She would come and eat the food we left out but would stay out of reach. We talked to the Humane Society who referred us to the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center.”
“Her adopters were understandably distraught,” explains Christine. “They did a great job of following our advice to keep her in the area, however, were unable to catch her. After several days of reporting to us that she was staying in the area, my (former) colleague, Selena, and I drove five hours to Nashville to see if we could entice her out of hiding. We brought along her very best dog friend, Hunter, who had also come to the BRC from her case.”
Christine, Selena and Hunter spent hours in the neighborhood speaking with neighbors and anyone around to ask if they’d seen Tilly. After four hours in the pouring rain and thunder, visiting all the places she’d been sighted as well as any potential hiding spots, the group checked into a local motel to get dried off. Once in dry clothes and a little reenergized, they headed back out to her feeding spots to see if she would go near her food bowl with Hunter there.
“On the ride to the neighborhood, we spotted her!” Christine remembers. “She was standing in the driveway of an abandoned house that we had searched earlier in the day. We slowly pulled the car over, eased Hunter out of his crate, and Selena slowly approached the driveway, sitting on the ground with Hunter by her side. I stayed near the road to block her from possibly crossing into traffic. Tilly was very nervous, keeping her distance, until she gave a few sniffs, then started wagging furiously—she’d recognized Hunter! She ran up to Hunter and Selena was able to surreptitiously get a leash on her. Selena scooped her up and rode back to her adopters’ house with Tilly in her lap.”
When found, Tilly was limping, so once Christine and Selena connected with the adopters, they accompanied them to the emergency vet to get her checked out. After receiving a clean bill of health, Tilly was taken home, given a bath and tucked into a warm, safe bed.
Getting Comfortable
After the escape and her second rescue with the ASPCA, Tilly’s fear began decreasing.
“We didn’t force anything,” says Kathy. “We just let her do what she felt safe doing. Her bed on the couch is her safe place and Barry fed her in a bowl beside the couch. Soon enough, Barry became her safe place—unless we have visitors, then it’s her bed again and she still goes there when she’s anxious. She gets this look of frozen stillness, but those have become rare.”
After ten months together, Tilly has warmed up to Kathy, accepting her pets and even asking for more. She has also started to play and lie in the sun with their other dog, Minnie, show off her bark, snore when she sleeps and has learned that she loves riding in the car as Barry’s copilot.
“The most heartwarming thing was when she was let off the lead in our backyard,” says Kathy. “She ran and ran and ran. Mostly in circles since she runs really fast. Now she and Minnie run from the back door to the trees after squirrels side by side.”
Kathy adds, “When Barry tells her she’s pretty and other sweet words, she takes it in with kisses. She knows she’s adored. She is Barry’s joy and I love to see her come out of her fear and claim her home.”
It’s not just Kathy and Barry who are excited about Tilly finding the family she always needed, Christine is over the moon as well.
“I am thrilled she found her people! It is so wonderful knowing that she has a dedicated family who are spoiling her and giving her all of the love she deserves!”
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