Hazel and Heath

In April of 2023 Hazel was pulled from an overcrowded shelter that was hoping to avoid euthanizing animals. Almost immediately she began displaying signs of high anxiety. While she would immediately accept some people as safe, for many others (especially men) she would bark loudly and consistently until they went away. Never, not once did Hazel attempt to snap or bite anyone though. In time, once she became comfortable with individuals, the barking would go away, she even seemed to remember people that she hadn’t seen for long periods of time. But the behavior quickly scared away most adopters and fosters.

Once acclimated Hazel was an incredibly sweet companion. She loved playing and wanted to snuggle almost constantly with human companions. She got along with all other dogs and respected cats. It was clear that there wasn’t a single aggressive bone in Hazel’s body.

For about a year Hazel bounced around between staff homes, volunteer fosters, and some boarding facilities. We tried various training methods to teach Hazel to trust new people but nothing stopped the aversive behavior. During that time the staff noticed that Hazel was losing weight (though her appetite remained well intact). She was eventually taken to Pleasant Valley Veterinary Clinic for some thorough tests. Over time it was determined that Hazel not only had a protein allergy which required a prescription diet but she also developed urinary incontinence.

In late April 2024, we reached out to a foster named Heath. Heath had come to us as a finder foster when he was looking for help with rehoming an elderly stray dog that he had taken in. During that time it was clear that Heath was the ultimate dog lover and incredibly empathetic towards anxious animals (and people). Even though Hazel wasn’t traditionally trusting of men we thought that perhaps Heath would be able to break down her walls.

To our great relief, Heath agreed to take this dog who was having gastrointestinal issues at the time and who he knew would probably bark loudly and persistently. To everyone’s surprise Hazel loved Heath right from the very beginning. She quickly bonded with his husky, George, and even managed to win over Honey Bear (the alpha female of the household).

For three months Heath fostered Hazel and in that time he earnestly worked with her, took her out into public places, taught her commands, and she absolutely flourished. In no time her new diet brought Hazel back to a healthy weight and Heath’s work made her more and more trusting.

Unfortunately, even with all this great work, Hazel was still going to be very difficult to adopt out. The new owner would not only need to afford her new expensive diet but ongoing medication to treat her urinary incontinence. They would also need to continue Heath’s work with Hazel which required a lot of patience.

Then, a miracle happened. A change in Heath’s circumstances allowed him to be able to adopt Hazel and as soon as he knew it was an option he reached out to us at CARE. Not only did Heath give a home to one of the most beautiful souls to ever come through our rescue, he also proved that dedicated fosters can make all the difference in the world when it comes to anxiety-based behavioral issues.

Heath and Hazel are both one in a million and we could not be happier that this girl has finally found a family where she can relax and know that she will always be safe and loved.

To save a life like Heath did, sign up to be a foster today or apply to adopt one of our available pets.