By Animal Care and Control Director Marcia Mayeda
In March of 2022 my husband and I volunteered to provide foster care for a two year old female Great Pyrenees dog for the Great Pyrenees Association of Southern California Rescue.
He was found on the streets as a stray by a beautiful woman who witnessed him being hit by someone with a broom, so this kind rescuer bribed the dog in his car with some lunch meat and the dog made his way to safety. area at our Downey Animal Care Center.
He was thin, dirty, and had an ear infection and diarrhea. Our Downey medical team treated her ear infections and tested her for parvovirus, giardia, and other causes of diarrhea. He is vaccinated and dewormed. He was adopted by the Great Pyrenees Rescue and provided ten days of care with their vet, but needed a foster family to take him in. We knew this little girl needed help, so we stepped up. We immediately took her to the groomers for a good bath (she was so dirty we couldn’t tell what color she was!) and named her Freya.
Freya weighed only 63 pounds, had constant diarrhea, and her body began to lie down. Our wonderful vet was diagnosed with a severe vitamin B deficiency; so low that his body could not even absorb nutrition. He was in starvation mode, and we could feel every bone in his body. His coat is thin, dry, and dull. But B vitamin injections, some antibiotics for GI problems, and good nutrition started to turn him around. Four months later, he weighed 89 pounds and his thin coat was in full bloom – a background of white with patches of beige and a gray mask. He now has the thickest coat of all our dogs.
Despite her poor health at first, Freya made friends with our other dogs right away. He and Holly, our four-year-old Great Pyrenees, developed a close bond and immediately began playing catch, face-biting, and other canine fun. They became inseparable.
After four months, I couldn’t just send him to a new home. This poor dog had only known hunger, loneliness, abuse, pain, and fear before he came to our house. Today he is healthy and thriving, with a dog best friend and pet parents who love him. So, he became a permanent member of our group. Some people jokingly call it “foster failure” but to me it’s a fostering success!
I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to feed an animal that needs your love, care, and protection. There are so many wonderful animals for adoption at our animal care centers, each with its own history. Most don’t have the health problems that Freya has, but if they do, they can be completely cured. Most are innocent with us – someone left the backyard gate open, the owner moves and the pet can’t be taken, can’t afford pet care, dies, or other reasons separated them from their animals. . Many are trained and housebroken.
I’m always disappointed when I see people paying thousands of dollars for designer dogs that are the latest trend, when such wonderful, loving dogs need good, loving homes. Some people think that animals in shelters are flawed in some way. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Some may require training or behavioral modification, but even designer dogs need to be trained and can have genetic defects from inbreeding.
Freya has some quirks. He is alert to our movements and views other people and animals as threats. I’m sure that’s because she had to fight for survival on the streets. We just know how to manage him so he doesn’t have negative interactions and he enjoys himself. However, in our home he is loving to anyone and any dog that comes along. He’s also obsessed with tuna fish – we’re guessing he got whatever food he could get his hands on from feral cat feeding stations when he was fending for himself on the streets. He loves to give kisses and hugs and is a wonderful addition to our family. His favorite place to sleep is in our bed.
Part of the joy of adopting an animal in need is getting to know them for who they are – with their history, likes, and dislikes. Discovering their true personality and watching it blossom is so heartwarming. This month, we’re celebrating Freya’s “Gotcha Day” – the day when pet parents bring in a rescued pet to become part of the family. Freya, we’re glad we got it! I encourage you to visit one of DACC’s animal care centers (or any animal shelter near you) and bring home an animal in need so that you too can experience the joy of adopting an animal in need.
