Abused dog waits over a year for her forever home

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We’ve all heard the age-old adage “dog is man’s best friend.” But, is man really dog’s best friend? If he was, then dogs would not suffer abuse, neglect, or  forced to fight or used for experiments. So many puppies born into the world don’t ask for the hand they’ve been dealt.

Olivia, a five to six-year-old female pit bull never asked for the life she was given. She and two other dogs were impounded by the SPCA from a property due to neglect.  All three were brought in to the Islip Animal Shelter and Adopt-a-Pet Center in April 2018. When the dogs were recovered from the property Olivia was found lying in a garbage pail that had fallen over. That was her only form of shelter from the elements.

Olivia when she was rescued

When Olivia arrived at the shelter, she was in deplorable condition. She was emaciated, (weighing 48 pounds), had skin issues and pressure sores around her pelvic area. The results of her first vet exam were malnutrition and parasitic infection.

It isn’t certain whether Olivia had to live her entire life outdoors or if she was ever house trained by anyone. A lot of issues she has stemmed from a life of neglect. One of these issues was dirtying her inside kennel. If it’s not cleaned right away, she walks through it and smears it all over. This behavior is not her fault and is a result of not being familiar with the concept of indoor cleanliness. When she is outside in the outdoor exercise pens, she does not repeat the same behavior.

The shelter staff and volunteers do their best to keep up with cleaning her kennel and bathing her as soon as they can. But this is still a turn off to potential adopters causing her to be passed over again and again.

Olivia does love taking walks, but is strong on the leash.  She is also dog selective. This means she is social and gets along well with some dogs and others she wants to be dominant over. She does not react to cats at all, even when they were hissing and spitting at her through the cage. As for people, Olivia loves everyone. She craves attention from anyone and everyone.

Olivia shows slight aggression with her food when really pushed, but the behavior she exhibited was growling – no biting or snapping at all.  Unfortunately, food aggression can develop in dogs who are neglected, fed irregularly and infrequently, or starved. Not knowing when or if their next meal will arrive puts an understandable amount of urgency in these abused dogs.

Olivia is very treat oriented which makes training her easy. However, she shows no interest in dog toys.

Any form of abuse/neglect has serious long-term ramifications on any animal. A big part of loving an abused/neglected dog is understanding why they behave the way they do.

People need to educate themselves and learn that the behavioral flaws are after affects and dogs like Olivia simply do not know how to respond and behave appropriately in different situations. This is not a reason for her to be passed over and forgotten behind shelter walls. Olivia deserves so much better than this.

Olivia has been in the care of Islip Animal Shelter for over a year now. Although she is thriving health wise, now weighing in at 58 pounds, the abuse she suffered earlier and being confined to a kennel are taking a toll.  She needs a home and family to call her own.

The best home for Olivia would be with a savvy, experienced owner.  She needs a patient individual/family that will understand her needs and give her time to decompress and learn to trust. She must learn to trust that you are a competent, capable leader who has her best interests at heart.

Olivia would do best in an active home with children over the age of ten due to her bone/bully stick aggression. The shelter states that when they have had her out at adoption events, she did wonderfully with anyone who approached her, even young children.

Please help give Olivia the chance at a real forever home like she deserves! Please share her story and help get her name and face out into the dog loving community.

If you are in the position adopt this sweet girl, please contact the shelter and make arrangements to meet her.

A meet and greet will be required to determine if future dog sibling(s) would be the right fit.

Contact:

Town of Islip Animal Shelter and Adopt-A-Pet Center
210 S. Denver Ave
Bay Shore, NY 11706
(631) 224-5660

You can also help the dogs like Olivia at the Islip Animal Shelter by donating items from their Amazon wish list http://a.co/8xuAZad

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Don’t cry little one

Olivia when she was found

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1 COMMENT

  1. Dear Sweet Olivia has suffered WAY TOO MUCH already! Glad the shelter is taking such great care of her, but she needs and DESERVES a loving home. Her behavior is caused by “extreme” stress, and LOVE will be cure!

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