We have rescued the neglected, the abused, the sick, the maimed, the disabled, the elderly, even the walking dead. Some of the saddest cases we have ever witnessed are actually owner surrenders, and it includes surrender back to rescue.
When any dog has lived in what they believe is their very own loving home, as a treasured family pet, their devastation upon surrender is nothing short of heartbreaking. They don’t understand what’s going on and they wait for their family to come back for them. They simply have no idea why their family isn’t coming back and it is not something we can help them understand.
No one ever said raising dogs was easy, it comes with daily challenges; sometimes you may actually not know what you’re doing. Even on your worst days, you know the best thing you can do for your dog is to try your hardest to be a responsible and caring owner.
Today we have a very special Featured Dog Friday; meet Houston! Houston was rescued from Houston, Texas during Hurricane Harvey by Yorkie 911 Rescue almost 2 years ago. Being such an adorable, young pup there was no doubt he would be adopted quickly, and he was. Unfortunately over the last couple years while in his home, Houston began exhibiting behavior issues and the family decided to return him to the rescue.
While the family loved him dearly, stating he’s a great dog – smart, loving, loyal, cuddly, house trained, non-destructive they had faced significant challenges that led them to make the very difficult decision to find Houston a new home. They specifically mentioned that Houston struggles with anxiety. When the house was peaceful, he was wonderful, but when there was a lot of activity or they had guests, Houston responded by barking and growling. They also mentioned that he was food, space, and toy guarding as well.
The family tried everything they could to help Houston. They met with Veterinarians and Behaviorists for help, causing him to be placed on a low dose of Fluoxetine (doggie Prozac) and CBD oil along with some training, but the family did have two children at home, and there were times when Houston would growl and snap at them aggressively. While he never bit or attacked, the family was very afraid that one day he would. Needless to say, the stress level in the home was high and not at all a good environment for Houston to remain in, the family was simply not the right fit for this beautiful soul.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the complaints, the rescue was not able to accommodate Houston in an appropriate foster environment to assess the situation and turned to us for help. We did not want to see Houston end up in a shelter, so Houston the dog came to Paws Give Me Purpose. His story touched our hearts so deeply, that we could not say no to helping this frightened little boy.
Houston was sent to Paws Give Me Purpose by Yorkie911 Rescue, Inc with the hope that we can help evaluate, assess and work with him through his issues as well as determine his future adoptability. Should he not be a candidate for adoption, he will live out his life here in Sanctuary.
For those who are not familiar with our organization, we believe that all dogs deserve a second chance at life – especially seniors, those with physical disabilities, terminal illness, behavioral issues, have been abused and need someone to care for, love, and understand them. Our dogs live in a home cage free setting and most are permanent residents. On occasion there are/have been dogs that can be rehabilitated and move on to forever homes, but most are here to just live out their days in Sanctuary. Sometimes dogs come to us so ill or emotionally damaged, that re-homing them is not in their best interest. We offer Sanctuary and lots of love for these dogs for the rest of their lives.
Houston is about 2 years old, believed to be a Chihuahua Lab Mix, weighing about 25 pounds. He is physically very fit, his vaccinations are up to date and he has been neutered. Although his family loved him dearly, we believe Houston struggles with anxiety due to his puppyhood trauma, and it was simply more than the family could handle.
If you’ve ever owned an animal all you have to do is watch their behavior towards you and you will understand just how important you are in their lives. There is no doubt in our mind that dogs have emotions; they feel joy after a job well done, sad when a pack member passes away, and love toward their family members. If you really think about it, our dogs give us so much and ask for so little in return. If we provide them with exercise, discipline, and affection, we can learn to really appreciate them and the love they have to give.
Upon Houston’s arrival to Paws Give Me Purpose, he spent a lot of time running back and forth to the window of his room looking for his family and sulking in sadness in between. It was very clear that he missed them and believed they were coming to pick him up and take him home. It truly did pain us to see this behavior, but it is sadly something we are all too familiar with.
This coming Sunday marks two weeks since Houston’s arrival; and he has stopped looking out the window. Although he may not understand why he is here or why his family isn’t coming for him; he has accepted his new reality. He is slowly decompressing, settling in, learning the routine, and coming out of his shell.
Houston is completely housebroken, and knows his basic commands plus. He loves belly rubs and really enjoys a good massage. We have learned that he does have some fears and is a bit people selective. Certain objects, quick movements, large trucks and school buses passing him by do cause some reactivity, but if calmly spoken to he will calm down. He loves going for walks, and is a bit leash reactive toward strangers and other dogs walking down the street, but again takes corrections easily.
He enjoys pets and cuddling up to those individuals he feels comfortable with. If he doesn’t seem to like you, he does growl a bit letting you know he’s uncomfortable and this is a normal form of dog communication and simply warns you to step away. We have not seen any aggressive snapping at all.
We have also not seen any of the food, space or even the toy guarding complaints the family mentioned at all. Houston does not seem to want to play with toys and ignores them, he is also not interested in bully sticks or chews of that nature. He does love the Edible Nylabone Sweet Potato bones, and is a bit picky with his food. We do feed homemade meals and treats, he enjoys the treats but has been choosy with his food.
Most of the issues we have seen are very common, trainable and most definitely not a reason to return a dog. We do not however have children around our Sanctuary and that is something that may make the difference. We have been told, that when Houston was returned to the rescue he did play well with the small breeds but would become a bit overwhelmed sometimes and retreat to his crate. In the next day or so, we will dog test him here with another dog his own size, and we will post an update. We have however noticed that he is not a fan of the larger breeds as he does cower away when they pass by his room on their way outside to the yard. (they can be a bit intimidating)
Houston is what we consider a sensitive dog here at Paws Give Me Purpose. We do feel that Houston is a young dog who needs proper guidance, is a highly adoptable dog, and really does not require Sanctuary. He will be a wonderful companion in the right home, but we are recommending an adult only home. A savvy, experienced, patient individual who will be committed to him and will put in the time needed to gain his trust. A quiet adult home would be best, with not a lot of people traffic going in and out. He really needs a calm environment that doesn’t have a lot of company and understands that he really just wants to be around his people.
Houston is looking for that special someone who will give him the time he needs to decompress and readjust. He has been through so much trauma and change in his young life that he really deserves a home where someone will understand his needs, love and cherish him the way he should be. Houston is a fun loving boy who is very sweet and affectionate once he comes out of his shell. For those who like to go for a nice stroll before hanging out on the couch together, Houston is the perfect match.
We know that Houston’s future is bright, and in the right home environment he will excel. We are hoping and praying that he doesn’t have to wait too long before someone will open their heart and home to a wonderful dog like him. We guarantee you will fall in love when you meet him!
Even though Houston is currently staying with us at Paws Give Me Purpose Inc. his adoption application will be handled by Yorkie 911 Rescue Inc. https://www.yorkie911rescue.com
To fill out an application for Houston, please head over to:
https://www.yorkie911rescue.com/forms/form?formid=1626
If you are interested in sponsoring Houston during his stay with us, or sponsoring any of our lifetime Sanctuary residents you can do so at the following link: https://www.pawsgivemepurpose.com/our-sanctuary-residents-1/
If you have any questions about Houston, please feel free to reach out to us directly or email Yorkie 911 Rescue: yorkie_911@yahoo.com
Be sure to head over to Adoption Central, share Houston and all the other Featured Dog Friday pups still in search of their forever homes.