The Gift of Time: Baby Girl’s Journey Through the Shelter
A shelter environment can often be a shock to pets. There are times when the dogs we see are happy, confident and ready to get back into a household environment. Other times, the abrupt change in scenery can cause a dog to become scared and feel vulnerable.
Seven-year-old Baby Girl arrived at our shelter because her owner did not have enough time to care for her. Her whole life had been spent in the same home, so understandably the shelter world was overwhelming, with all new noises and smells. Whenever Baby Girl saw anyone unfamiliar, she would growl, bark and run to the back of her kennel. It was her way of saying she was scared and did not want to be bothered.
We started slow by tossing Baby Girl a handful of her favorite treats every time we saw her. This simple action made a huge difference as she began to realize that whenever she saw someone, she’d get a handful of delicious bacon strips! We had around eight different volunteers, as well as the entire SPCA Tampa Bay behavior team, caring for Baby Girl. Each day, we’d gather new information from our hard-working volunteers explaining the progress she was making.
Soon, Baby Girl’s true personality began to shine through. She’d wag her tail when people passed by, loved playing with toys, and couldn’t wait to join the other dogs in playgroups.
Watching Baby Girl blossom into her true, happy-go-lucky, goofy self, showed us that Baby Girl’s fear-of-the-unknown is what caused her to bark and growl at people when she first arrived. SPCA Tampa Bay staff and volunteers work tirelessly to provide enrichment for the dogs in our care and get them out of the kennels as much as possible as they await their adoption.
One afternoon, a loving family came into the shelter and knew Baby Girl was the dog for them. They didn’t want to go through the “puppy phase,” but they wanted a playful dog. Baby Girl had all of the qualities they were looking for and her sweet face didn’t hurt either! It was an instant bond among all of them.
She went home with a bag full of her favorite toys, treats and a wagging tail that never stopped! Baby Girl found her forever family because of your help. Your donations and dedication to the SPCA are the reasons why thousands of our animals are finding their forever homes each and every year.
By: Lindsey Troy, Outreach/ Behavior
Seven-year-old Baby Girl arrived at our shelter because her owner did not have enough time to care for her. Her whole life had been spent in the same home, so understandably the shelter world was overwhelming, with all new noises and smells. Whenever Baby Girl saw anyone unfamiliar, she would growl, bark and run to the back of her kennel. It was her way of saying she was scared and did not want to be bothered.
We started slow by tossing Baby Girl a handful of her favorite treats every time we saw her. This simple action made a huge difference as she began to realize that whenever she saw someone, she’d get a handful of delicious bacon strips! We had around eight different volunteers, as well as the entire SPCA Tampa Bay behavior team, caring for Baby Girl. Each day, we’d gather new information from our hard-working volunteers explaining the progress she was making.
Soon, Baby Girl’s true personality began to shine through. She’d wag her tail when people passed by, loved playing with toys, and couldn’t wait to join the other dogs in playgroups.
Watching Baby Girl blossom into her true, happy-go-lucky, goofy self, showed us that Baby Girl’s fear-of-the-unknown is what caused her to bark and growl at people when she first arrived. SPCA Tampa Bay staff and volunteers work tirelessly to provide enrichment for the dogs in our care and get them out of the kennels as much as possible as they await their adoption.
One afternoon, a loving family came into the shelter and knew Baby Girl was the dog for them. They didn’t want to go through the “puppy phase,” but they wanted a playful dog. Baby Girl had all of the qualities they were looking for and her sweet face didn’t hurt either! It was an instant bond among all of them.
She went home with a bag full of her favorite toys, treats and a wagging tail that never stopped! Baby Girl found her forever family because of your help. Your donations and dedication to the SPCA are the reasons why thousands of our animals are finding their forever homes each and every year.
By: Lindsey Troy, Outreach/ Behavior
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