MAGSR.ORG

The GA 38 arrived in MAGSR’s care in early/mid January 2019 and over the past two months, their transformation has been nothing short of amazing. These 38 broken souls knew nothing but a life of filth, hunger, and abuse. Their eyes were filled with the look of fear, emptiness and uncertainty. They cowered in the corners of their runs and tried to be as far away from humans as possible and MAGSR volunteers knew they had quite a challenge ahead to right the wrongs of their past prior to arriving in MAGSR's care. MAGSR volunteers stepped up & took on the challenge head on. And now, two months later, through the endless work of dedicated volunteers that have selflessly given their time, patience and love, these beautiful creatures have begun to meet us with tail wags, lean-ins as we walk with them, and most importantly, where once there was emptiness and fear in their eyes, it’s clear those memories have been replaced with hope and even a bit of curiosity. Their wounds have healed, their bellies are full and they have learned that all humans aren’t so bad. They are greeting us at the front of their kennel runs now eager for treats and walks. All of them have learned to walk on a leash and we are beginning some basic obedience with them such as "sit", "heel" and “watch me.” They are now used to being handled regularly for normal things such as baths, getting their weights taken, and taking their monthly preventatives. Best of all, volunteers are seeing their unique personalities and social side come out with other dogs. Just a few months ago, they were all fighting for the same food and water and ability to stay alive but today, many have completely let down their guard and are comfortable enough to engage in play and/or positively interact with other dogs. All  of these dogs have shown us how intelligent and resilient they are and have made significant strides in their road of rehabilitation. They are ready for the next chapter of their journey and we hope you may be part of  their story.

Ayayu has been our newest foster for a little over a week now. We are an experienced foster home and our adult dogs are experienced and well socialized. Because of this, we felt that Ayayu would benefit from being with us and our pack. As we had expected and hoped for, we are happy to report that we have seen wonderful emotional growth in her.

Backstory: She, like many of the dogs from the Georgia 38, was not well socialized with people. However, they were socialized with other dogs. She is fairly shy around people and when faced with situations which are of concern to her, she will retreat or go into flight mode. This fearful/flight mode cannot be overstated enough. People that may be interested in her will need to understand her fearful nature. We expect that given time, she will overcome some of this. But it’s possible that she might always be one to flee if confronted with a situation that is scary to her. Her adopter will need to be understand that adopting is not only a lifetime commitment but also a commitment to her life, meaning keeping her safe at all times so that she is not allowed to escape and become lost or even worse.

Fastforward: Since arriving in our home, she is learning all about normal life experiences, sounds, routines, expectations, etc. She’s learning about things like going up and down steps, ringing telephones, TVs, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, just to name a few. She has also learned about routines such as potty time while on leash, when it’s time to go into her crate if we need to leave the house or for her breakfast and dinner. She is also getting her teeth brushed. Her daily life has not been all about the boring and mundane day to day activities. She is also learning (and enjoying) fun things. She is discovering toys and realized she likes people food such as popcorn, Cheez-It’s , etc. She has also discovered the comfort of a nice plush doggie bed and is frequently seen lying on one of many. This past weekend, she got to relax and enjoy the puppy pool and the bigger human pool and we were very proud of her. Ayayu LOVES other dogs and will show her playful side with dogs who will engage in play. Though our adult dogs do not roughhouse, she still loves them and always seeks to be around them. She is starting to seek out attention from us as well and not hide away as much as previously seen. Because she loves other dogs, she gets a lot of her confidence from being around confident dogs by seeing how they go about daily life. Because of this, she must be adopted into a home with a confident, well socialized dog so that she can continue to improve and grow.

Her adoptive home will need to be structured, not chaotic and her adopters will really need to understand a flight risk dog and the potential challenges that come with having one in their home.