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.

Cessna has been in her foster home for almost a week, and has surprised her foster family with how quickly she has adjusted to her new environment. She has never been in a house before, so at first, the crate, stairs, TV, refrigerator, microwave, drawers, bags etc were all new things to be wary of. Surprisingly, after only a few repeat introductions to these things, Cessna has quickly gotten comfortable around them. She is taking to crate training well, and snoozes in the crate for our 8 hour work day and does well in the crate at night. She has had no accidents in the house or crate and waits until she goes on a walk to go potty. Cessna has also done well with our two cats. She is curious about them, but does not chase and largely ignores them. She is currently making great progress learning "sit" and "come" commands. While Cessna isn't quite sure what to do with herself in the house, when we take her on walks she is in her element. She is an awesome walking companion. She walks in a near perfect heel position, no pulling, takes correction well and is such a fast learner! She is not reactive to other dogs, bikes, or runners we pass in the park. Her favorite thing is to run through the leaves and sniff everything! Cessna would make someone a great walking, hiking or running partner! Like all the Georgia dogs, Cessna has never been in a home or around a loving family. Even so, she readily accepts pets and even runs up to her foster parents to say hi. She has already come a long way and will need owners who will give her time to adjust, lots of love, and the structure and training to help her know how to navigate her new world as a good canine citizen.

Cessna has been making good progress in her foster home. Her foster family maintains a strict daily routine for her with structured walks and being fed in her crate, and this has helped her become much more comfortable in the home. She knows her schedule and will whine softly when she knows it's time for her walk, her favorite thing! She will run up to her foster parents wagging her tail because she is excited to go outside. Cessna LOVES being outside and has lots of energy, so her foster parents think she would do best in an active home that will take her on long daily walks, hikes or runs. Her walking manners have been very good, she doesn't pull, or react to other dogs, she heels nicely, and has been getting good at auto-sitting when her handler stops. She does well with these skills as long as she is working with a strong leader. She would do well with an owner who has previous GSD experience, as well as some basic training experience with an adult rescue dog. In the home, Cessna is still working on being comfortable when outside her crate. She has become less afraid of the TV, and has even recently come out of her crate to sit and lay down with her foster family for a few minutes. When she needs her space, she goes back in her crate, where she is most comfortable. She has surprised her foster parents with her interest in chewing a nyla-bone (often the GA dogs don't have any interest in toys/treats...because they've never seen them before!). She is still doing great in her crate during an 8 hour work day and also overnight, with no accidents or whining. Cessna still needs to work on being around lots of people, as she finds busy bustling environments to be overstimulating and scary right now. She also needs more exposure to riding in the car, as this is still a new, nerve-wracking experience for her. Her foster parents are working with her on these skills, and she is making steady progress! Cessna will need an adopter with lots of patience, love, and strong leadership to show her how best to navigate her home and the world as a good canine citizen.