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JESSE |
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Below are pictures of Jesse when we brought her in. She was very thin from stress. |
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Age: 9 years |
Interested in adopting Jesse? Please check out our requirements for adoption page first, then call our Adoption hotline at (978) 443-2202 |
Foster
Parent|
Sometimes when things go along easily for years, you think they won’t change. But they do. After nine years in her own home, Jesse’s world came apart. Originally, her family situation worked quite well. Her owner was a truck driver who was on the road almost every weekday for those first nine years. Fortunately, he shared a house with his elderly mother, who was there to keep Jesse company, feed her and let her out as necessary. The owner and Jesse then shared weekends together. The day came, however, when the truck driver’s mother could no longer live in the house, taking care of herself and a German Shepherd. She moved to a nursing home, and there was no one there on weekdays to care for this dog. Jesse’s owner asked friends to take care of her while he tried to find her another home. That didn’t work out well, though, because there were problems with the friend’s own dog (not wanting Jesse there?). Jesse spent most of every day and night living in her crate, only going out to go to the bathroom. She became depressed and stopped eating, and she lost weight until she was in pitiful shape. Her owner contacted GSRNE and then left Jesse at a very good shelter. The volunteers who evaluated Jesse recognized the sweet, loving personality that lay beneath the surface of the bewildered and confused dog they were seeing, and were happy for GSRNE to take her into foster care. Once in her foster home, Jesse was very anxious for those first weeks and didn’t want her foster Mom to be out of sight; she followed her from room to room, up the stairs, down the stairs and into the shower (almost). Dottie, her foster Mom, had to go to work, driving a bus, in the mornings and late afternoons; but she was home for most of the days and evenings, which helped this dog realize that she was not going to lose her family and be so dreadfully alone again. And with that realization, Jesse’s real personality began to gradually emerge. Jesse learned that her crate was no longer a prison; Dottie would always return soon and take her for a walk and a swim. It turns out that Jessie LOVES to swim and will retrieve a stick from the water, drop it on the ground and pull it around with her paws. Swimming makes this wonderful dog incredibly happy! Jesse’s teeth are worn down, so maybe she used to play with rocks. In any case, she likes her food to be softened; and her favorite toys are soft and easy on her mouth. For a while, she thought that Dottie’s cats were soft, flexible toys. She’s had to learn that they aren’t and cannot be barked at or chased. Jesse is a real lady: she has had some training and is good with “sit…down…come;” she walks nicely on a loose leash; and she will give up something in her mouth when you tell her to “drop it!” She likes a calm environment, preferably with someone there for company most of the time. But she’s not a total couch potato – she enjoys exercising with you. Her previous owner taught Jesse how to lift latches and turn doorknobs, so she’s been known to open doors and go exploring on her own; at the shelter, they would find her out of her pen and looking for company. If you’re also looking for good company in the form of a well-behaved senior German Shepherd who doesn’t act her age, please ask us about Jesse!
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