Deity Animal Rescue and Foundation, a nonprofit rescue organization, saved a cherry-eyed Chihuahua they named Heather. She was nervous, frightened and was classified as a bite-risk. No one could get close to her. The rescue group asked Niko Huberman, a foster mom, if she could take in Heather.
Niko decided to take a chance and accepted Heather. On her first day, Heather did not want to get out of the crate even though Niko left the crate’s door wide open. No matter how much Niko coaxed her with soothing words, Heather was too terrified to move.
Heather was scared of human contact. However, she was not afraid of treats, so Niko used that to pet her. Niko was very patient with her. She let Heather get used to her presence before she petted her.
Niko made several more attempts before she was able to encourage Heather to come out of the crate. The next challenge was putting a harness on her so that she could relieve herself. Niko had to use a paper towel roll to block Heather from potentially biting her. It was a slow process, but she was able to put on her harness.
Niko discovered that Heather liked outside walks. When they got home, Niko was surprised that Heather wanted to snuggle up next to her when she sat on the floor. Heather became more and more comfortable as the days went by. Soon, she was ready for adoption.
The mother of one of the board members of the Deity Animal Rescue and Foundation adopted Heather and renamed her Marlys. She took her to Orange County to live with two other dogs. Heather’s new family was very patient with her, too. They understood that she easily got frightened, so they let her take her time.
Their patience paid off as Marlys initiated the contact. Soon, she was getting pets from all of the family members. Aside from her behavior issues, she also had medical conditions, but they did not want to give up on her.
No one knew what happened to make her so terrified of people, but they were determined to show her that she’s loved. They hoped that she would fully trust and love them in due time.
Source: The Dodo via YouTube