Jolene
Jolene was one of our longest standing dog residents, in foster care for almost 550 days!
Surrendered to us as a puppy, she was extremely fearful of the world. When she first came into care, her foster carers had their hands full. She would howl, cry and demonstrate destructive behaviours when left alone for any amount of time. She was too nervous to go on walks, lunging or shying away from people and reacting to dogs on the street. She suffered from a range of food allergies and a persistent UTI that needed two corrective surgeries on her vulva and a treatment plan for lifelong care.
It was not known what happened in Jolene’s past that triggered her anxieties, but we were determined to change this for her future.
There was a team of people dedicated to her transformation.
Her foster carers committed hours of daily training to her, rescheduling their life around her needs. Along with Maggie’s team members, we enlisted the help of multiple dog trainers, Summer Hill Village Vet and a Veterinary Behaviourist who supported her continued training, triggers and transitions.
Jolene, a very intelligent girl, quickly mastered tricks to help her feel less anxious.
She slowly built her confidence on walks, learning to play with other dogs and enjoy the offerings of the outside world.
Once we were confident she was ready, she became available for adoption. It took 7 months to find the right application for her, with another 3 months of meetings, day visits, sleepovers and a 6 week-trial period to ensure this was her perfect match. Her adopter has continued to instil her confidence, enjoying getting to know her habits and little idiosyncrasies that we learnt to know and love whilst she was with us. She is a constant reminder of the work we do as a rescue, and the impact it has to change an animal’s life forever!
A few words from Anu, her foster carer.
“My husband and I weren’t sure what to expect from our first dog foster experience together. Maarten never had dogs growing up and wasn’t sure how to care for one but I really missed having pets around the house. Jojo warmed up to me immediately but would bark and lunge at Maarten every time he came back from work.
“Over the course of her stay, she grew more confident and trusting of us, and the world. While her growth was in no way linear, it was beautiful to see how she kept getting better.”
The day she was adopted was one of extremely mixed emotions. It was heartbreaking to see her leave, but we were so thrilled she’d found her forever home – a place where she can continue her training and become her best self.”
Jolene looking very happy after being adopted into her forever home