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.

Amika has had a lot of "firsts" since her foster family brought her home less than 48 hours ago: first hardwood floors, first stairs, first refrigerator noise, first crate, first HVAC noises, and first time meeting cats (presumably!). For being so new to this whole house thing, she is surprisingly unfearful and has taken her new life changes in stride! She gets along perfectly with her foster cat siblings, largely ignoring them or giving a little sniff. She is doing great on her daily walks and is already walking in a nice heel position with very minor corrections, and has passed people and bikes with no reactivity issues aside from minor nervousness. She is most comfortable outside and does not yet know what to do with herself in the house, but she is happy to lie down and snooze in her crate to get used to the activity.  She has been sleeping through the night silently in her crate, and is now learning how to be left alone in the crate for longer and longer periods of time.  She is food motivated so that makes training easier, and she is already getting pretty good at "sit" after one day! Her foster family are looking forward to seeing her develop as she gets more comfortable!

Hi my name is Liesel and I wanted to share a little bit about myself. The 1st year of my life, which is supposed to be filled with love, attention, and quality care was instead spent in a filthy pen with little to no food or clean water fending for myself to stay alive.  I bear psychological and physical scars of this 1st impressionable year of my life.  I am easily startled by sudden movements, loud sounds, and people. Currently, I feel safest in my crate or in small enclosed areas like the bathroom, hallway or backseat of the car.  Regardless of where I am, you will never hear a peep out of me.  I am curious about these humans who refer to themselves as my foster parents.  I am most accepting of their presence when they feed me and stroke me gently to let me know it is going to be ok. I have quite the appetite because I was not fed regularly so I’m more than willing to accept food.   My newly found favorite treats are pepperoni, turkey jerky from Aldi, and freeze dried beef liver.

I've never been an indoor dog and am used to relieving myself in my pen, but my foster parents told me I am doing so well with potty-training and are proud I've only had one accident inside.  When outside I walk well on the leash with my foster parents until something unexpectedly spooks me and in my mind, it is fight or flight, at which time I will go to the end of the leash pulling to get away from whatever scared me. Sometimes I hear things going on outside or from the other apartments around me and will get up to investigate causing me to start pacing.  However, once the threat is gone I retreat to my safe place.  My foster parents told me they think I would do best in an environment that is not city-like, where there is less activity and no people coming and going from the complex. Without these distractions I tend to keep to myself and relax where I feel most comfortable.

I am learning the ropes from these two other dogs in the home.  I watch them receive love and attention as they seem so happy to be around the humans, as of now I'm still a little unsure.  For now, I quietly retreat to my safe place where I get fed and have a warm, dry place to sleep.  I sleep through the night in my crate without incident and enjoy the company of the other two dogs as dogs are all I have ever been around.   I like the red thing filled with peanut butter that they call a “Kong.”  I will not chew your valuables or anything I am not supposed to.

I am trying so hard to learn how to just be a dog and not worry that someone or something is going to hurt me.  I am going to take time and patience to learn to trust my surroundings.  The only thing I want is to love and be loved and find a family to call my own.