Blog Post 5: Meet Callie!
We did it again!
Recently, we became a recognized rescue partner to the Highlands County Sheriff's Department. Their Animal Control Center is an outdoor facility that is always overcrowded. Unfortunately, they are a kill-shelter. Fortunately, we can step in and use our growing network to move these pups to safer shelters, or into foster homes. Or, we can bring them home - which is how we ended up with Callie.
Callie (formerly named Myrtle) was shared by the county animal caretaker as a newly surrendered senior dog. Sadly, senior dogs don't usually last long in kill shelters - they are more stressed, usually have more health problems, and are least likely to be adopted into a new home. This was the case for sweet Callie, who like Lilly, was very scared and confused in the shelter kennels and was most likely facing euthanasia.
When I went to meet Callie, the first thing I noticed about her was her nervous energy. It was not pent up energy, it was not excitement - it was fearful anxiety. Callie had spent her entire life alone, on a chain, outdoors - and while that is a terrible life for a dog, it is also a huge, overstimulating change to then suddenly come to a very full, loud kennel where you now live in a cell.
I also immediately saw her sweet temperament. She flopped at my feet, gave kisses, and made several friends on her way out, sitting nicely for everyone, and waiting politely while we finished paperwork. She didn't know she was being rescued, but she was happy to be with us, whatever was happening.
Callie is about 10 years old, heart-worm positive, and is healing from several jagged scars down her back (and a little one on her noggin). Otherwise, she is in good health and certainly has energy to keep me on my toes! She immediately found every single gap in my fence she could wiggle through - don't worry, I'm having those fixed. And hopefully, soon, she will realize this is her home. She is very submissive with both Sammie and Lilly, and the three have gotten along swimmingly.
Callie’s backstory is a bit strange and certainly not happy.
She was picked up by animal control as a stray back in 2016 when she was a couple years old already. She was then adopted out to a man and his family. Apparently, she was “dad’s” dog, and he kept her chained outside (she has some broken teeth from chewing on her chain, like Lilly) in all kinds of weather despite “mom’s” dogs getting to live indoors. The fur around her neck where her thick collar sat has all rubbed away (it’ll grow back!). Dad was incarcerated in January of this year, so mom continued to look after Callie until last month, when she was murdered in her home. I don't know any more details about that, but no family came to claim Callie or the other dogs.
In Sammie's House's care plan, I have pledged to give each new dog at least a month to be the new kid here. It felt a little fast to pull another dog, but looking at the calendar, I saw that Lilly had been with us 4 weeks to the day when I got the call about Callie. I was sure we could make it work.
It was clear when I brought Callie home that she’d never been inside a house before. The entire first day she could NOT calm herself. She cried constantly, an expression of her excitement and nervousness bubbling out of her every few minutes. I was really worried about her adjusting - but I cannot tell you how strongly I believe in the 3-3-3 rule. If you don’t know it, rescue experts say that a shelter dog needs 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to settle in and learn your routines, and 3 months to truly feel at home. And wouldn’t you know, on day 3, it was like a switch flipped and she started to relax. A huge relief for everyone. We have a long way to go, but each day is an improvement as I earn her trust.
Now, Callie has been here for almost two weeks. She still gets overwhelmed and overstimulated, but less and less frequently. And her overwhelm is a happy thing - she just can’t quite believe her new life, I think. Unlike Lilly, whose scars and issues are mainly physical, Callie’s scars are psychological. But, love can heal anything.
If you would like to contribute to Callie’s care, you can make a tax-deductible donation here.
