Feral Dog Takes Two Years to Get Close to Rescuer

Not all dogs rescued from terrible situations rehabilitate at the same rate. Some feral dogs might take a year or two before they will trust you enough to even get close. This is the case with Sheba.

Sheba was saved by Dogs Deserve Better from Olympic Animal Sanctuary, an animal rescue that came under scrutiny by animal advocates for the mistreatment of its dogs.

The sanctuary located in Forks, Washington was nicknamed the “sanctuary of sorrow” by activists and eventually was shut down by the operator.

Dogs such as Alex, a German Shepherd who ended up sequestered in a crate for two years, went to a home, but dogs like Sheba were taken in by rescues for long term care.

In the video, you can see how wary Sheba is in approaching her rescuer, who she has known for almost two years.

This might not seem like much but for the ones who dedicate their time, patience and love to her process, it is priceless and well worth it!

“Sheba has come a long way since she’s been here but still will not purposely let any of the staff touch her. She does get much closer to our media director especially on the walks and will ‘smile’ and wag her tail to let everyone know she’s happy,” Dogs Deserve Better wrote a few months after she was rescued in January 2014. “She is more trusting and will walk a little closer during pack walks but will not do this if she feels you want to get too close.”

“She has put on about 15 lbs since her rescue and is rather “shapely” She is very sociable with the other dogs… Overall, wonderful progress.”