10/14/2025
This is a long post but a worthy read and an even better SHARE in my opinion! I have had to say no A LOT lately and some people are respectful and thank me for my time while others are downright RUDE AND MEAN! IT HURTS! So, here is a little insight into my life and ONE of my dog pack! Yes we do get it! We understand! And we wish nothing more than to make it better!
This is my dog Red. He was about two years old when we adopted him from Humane Society of Yuma back when they were still in their old building. I will never forget the day he chose us. I had already chosen my first dog a few months prior named Shep. We were hoping for a buddy for him. As we walked down the aisles dog after dog it almost seemed impossible to choose. I told my husband I was leaving the decision up to him, because it was too hard for me to decide. I already picked the first one so he had to pick the second one. In just a few short seconds later he says to me "what about this one?" I looked at him as if to say why is that one so special. He looked back at me and said "he winked at me this one winked at me."
So without hesitation I said okay let's take him out. So a very nice gentleman came over and showed us to the play yard. Red was scared out of his mind. His legs shook as he walked unsure of what was next. Would he be going home? Or would this walk end terrifyingly different as it does for thousands of shelter animals nationwide. We entered the play yard. With hesitation Red greeted my husband and he seemed to be such a sweet dog hiding beneath that tough exterior of fear and uncertainty. We made the decision to bring our previously adopted dog, Shep, to meet Red. This would be the deal breaker because ultimately I wanted a friend for shep to burn off some energy so it was essential they be friends. Shep entered through the play yard gate, and they stood and sniffed each other cautiously. Meanwhile, I held the leash attempting to detour any negative energy flowing down the leash. As they became more comfortable we dropped our leashes and let them begin to play, and with time it was decided. Red would now become the second dog member of our family. We returned the dogs to their rightful holding spots while we filled out our adoption paperwork and paid applicable fees. It was go time! We were now a two dog household. However, this is where the rainbows and butterflies turned into tears of frustration, sighs of disappointment, and cries of anger. We began to walk red to the car where shep was awaiting his new dog bro, however red dug in his heels. He was NOT going to walk past the cars in the parking lot EVER! he was PETRIFIED of parked cars. Well Royen Springer wasn't gonna let that stop him so he carried him the short distance across the parking lot and loaded him into the car (yes he p*ed all over out of fear) Something felt weird but I knew that new dogs take time and need time to be totally comfortable. Red was an average stray dog from the San Luis and Somerton area. We had no clue what he had really been through but we were willing to give it a try. "A try?" Yes at that point I can't say we were totally committed, because trust me after the fight to get him in the car I had some concerns. Well, as days went on they would run zoomies through the house, play together, and we found out they don't like sharing much of anything. Red was known to p*e when approached. You could try as nicely as possible but he still would void his bladder. Tears of frustration! Cries of anger. I knew it wasn't his fault but he had ruined so many things! Some of which were antique furniture that couldn't be easily replaced. We tried positive training, we tried water management which basically looked like giving him water and then taking him outside right away until he p*es and then coming back in over and over again on a schedule. Nothing worked! We were at a standstill. We lost mattresses to this dog, we had slipped in his p*e, we cried tears of frustration almost daily. we just let him outside and he p*ed again in the house! It was constant mopping, constant cleaning, enough paper towel to circle the Earth. Here's where the story turns a different direction, royen said if this dog p*es in the house one more time he's going back to the shelter I can't do it anymore!!! I broke down in tears because I've grown to love this dog despite all of his flaws and mistakes. In both of our hearts we knew it wasn't his fault! There was something, there had to be something, that was scaring him so bad that he couldn't control it but at what point does our sanity matter more? Later that day I was sitting on the couch when I hear it, that grunt of frustration and the cry of anger "ya know what dog i have had it" and I knew...... I would be returning red to the shelter like a store bought item with a receipt :( Against all we learned, from trainers and YouTube and everything else, royen took reds nose and pushed his head near the p*e and said "do you really wanna go back?" And I told Royen to "stop doing that! It would only make him more scared of us! he didn't know! He didn't understand! He's got trauma!" And trust me this is where a marriage falls apart ;) I was POSITIVE he just made red's behavior worse! I was certain that not only was I gonna lose our new dog to this frustrating behavior problem but I was also mad at my husband for losing control the way he did. (I mean can you blame him? We were washing bed sheets, laundry piles, grocery bags, and so much more multiple times daily!). We both calmed down, sat down, and discussed what we could do. We decided to give him til the next day and then we would take him back. To our shock, that same evening he went a few hours with no accidents. We let him outside and he DID IT! he p*ed outside! It was a miracle I tell you! For the first time in weeks I cried tears of joy. I felt relief, for once, that MAYBE he was getting it. Hours turned to days, days into weeks and we were totally shocked. Not a single accident since royen blew his top on red and made him sniff his p*e. I am in NO WAY advocating for this type of punishment based training because 9 times out of 10 it will most definitely make things worse! But we were DESPERATE we didn't want to lose our dog, and neither did shep! They were best dog bros! And putting red back in the shelter would have likely ended in euthanasia as the rates were much higher at the old shelter. The building space was much more limited, and resources a lot less accessible back then. We were so relieved with his progress, albeit small but still significant! We could breathe and be a family without the stress of the accidents ..... But this was just the BEGINNING! Red has been a complicated dog since day one. He was scared of parked cars on our walks! He would actively run away from a car parked on the curb. He would alligator roll or try to pull out of every harness or collar contraption we came up with. He made every attempt to get as far from the parked car as possible. In addition, he was food aggressive and required kenneling to feed....even treats at first, and especially bones! Thank God they could share toys which I found weird! We joke that Red is the best worst dog we ever adopted! Red is excellent with being groomed, he loves cats and dogs of all ages and sizes, he is now fully housebroken, he's kennel trained, he's cuddly and sweet. If his arthritis didn't take him down he'd still be doing all his tricks.... He knows sit, lay down, stay, roll over, high five, and shake! He is very smart! During the times when his p*eing was out of control his misbehavior was honestly all I 🤔 thought about! I didn't even see the good in him because I had allowed the frustration to take over. I write this story because as a rescuer we are sometimes seen as "insensitive" or "we don't get it" I have people tell me all the time...... Have you ever had to deal with ______ you just don't get it! But in all reality, I can assure you, as a rescuer who deals with all kinds of behavior dogs and cats we understand and can empathize with what you are going thru on one level or another! Just because we can't take your problem from you and make it our problem to solve, does not mean we don't care! You choose to belittle rescuers because despite our best efforts we couldn't " just find a home for your pitbull that recently ripped your child's cheek off" (yes this is a real statement........ He's a super good boy but he's very aggressive especially new people and kids). The reality with rescue, especially foster based rescues, is we are not going to be the right fit for many dogs, but especially dogs that you have not done anything for! No basic training, no neutering or spaying, no vet care for vaccines, deworming, blood work etc. Yet you sure got that Starbucks every morning! ;) I try really hard not to pass judgement on pet owners seeking help, but many times it's NOT financial it's laziness! It's flat out careless behavior that has led to your dogs behavior that you now want to be someone else's problem. When we got Red we were in no financial position to afford training for him but we sought out as many resources as we could! We documented our efforts and STILL we wanted to give up! Trust me......we understand! We wanted to give up too! But had we actually given up on reds behavior, we NEVER would belittle a rescue or shelter or guilt trip them because they won't fix MY PROBLEM! your problem is yours! I am here to help IF I CAN! but sometimes the reality is we can't! Be prepared for that! Especially in the crisis we are in right now! Animals being dumped left and right! Donations at an all time low! Volunteers are almost non existent (our shelter runs off three dedicated daily individuals...... The same people daily) we are human! We are exhausted! And we are here to help the most we can! The best way we can! However we can! And sometimes that means saying no. Trust me the guilt is immense! As I lay my head on my pillow the "nos" haunt me and tears flood my pillow. Just remember when you say "omg please help it's so sad!" Remember....nobody knows that fact more than the rescuer on the other end of the line. And after we get done saying no to you...... We are gonna have to say it about 15 more times that day! Space is not unlimited! Time is not endless! Volunteers are not pouring through our doors! That being said, I share this long story all to say "I have been there! I understand! And trust me, if I could make your situation (and mine) easier, or simply provide an easy diy solution I would. So please, treat your rescuers with respect! If you are told no maybe ask yourself when was the last time you did something to help so rescuers can say yes more often!? Remember, rescue dogs are not broken or irreparable, they just need the right person who is willing to never give up, someone with strength tenacity and familial commitment. Love your animals! They are your family by choice!
