Meet Jerry! This good boy was rescued from a kill shelter in Texas. Here’s what his rescuers have to say about him:When JERRY arrived at the rescue in Sebec, Maine on 15th January 2021 he was very shy and fearful. When in his kennel he would give a warning growl, letting me know he was unsure and uncomfortable at which I respected and left him alone for a while so that he could get settled. I found that when Jerry feels he is cornered he will let you know by growling and when I back off and get to his level he gets more relaxed and will come up to smell and get his ears scratched. When cleaning his kennel I would make sure he was inside before I cleaned outside as this is where he felt the most threatened and trapped. After a few days he and his kennel neighbour had gotten into each others kennel and were sharing the elevated dog bed and his demeanor instantly changed, him obviously gaining confidence through the happy-go-lucky Sophie.
After a few days Sophie was adopted and Jerry had to get used to being in the kennel on his own, his affection for me was great, there was no more fear and he was becoming very attached. Jerry had a meet and great with a GSD experienced family, but when I took him out to meet them, he again became very fearful and only wanted to be near me. After a few minutes we decided that putting him back in the kennel and spending time with him through the gate might help, however, it just seemed to escalate his fear and his fearful growling, turned into barking and we both agreed that he was not ready for his new home yet – more so with the family having a small child and not being able to dedicate and commit to the training and work he will need.
Instead of going back in a kennel, I put Jerry in with the remaining dogs that had been relocated to the communal area in the kennels where there is access to a large, secure fenced in area. At first very cautious and wary, which was to be expected as several younger dogs all wanting to jump on him, however, after a while he settled down, but lay at the gate waiting for me. After a few hours he did great and we all went outside and he got to explore the outside and the snow – he was very happy and loved being able to run and seemed settled now with the other dogs. I did, however, end up moving him again to a kennel over in the shop area, as I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him unsupervised with the other younger dogs jumping on him all the time. If we don’t find him a forever home soon, I do intend to bring him up to the house where he will be with many other dogs, but older and not wanting to jump on him.
Jerry is a very sweet, affectionate boy who has clearly had something happen to him where he has lost trust, it could be something as simple as his family dumping him in a shelter, shepherds get very attached to their people and it shatters their hearts when they dump them. He might have been caught as a stray and a catch pole or something used that scared him, or we could assume many other scenarios, but the truth is we do not know. We just want to find the absolute perfect family to give this boy what he needs to build and gain trust and be the happy, confident boy that he should be.
We are looking for a family that is active for sure, someone that understands the need of not just physical exercise but training and lifetime mental stimulation. He is going to need a family that is able to give him space where he can decompress and learn to trust his family and understands that this can take time.
We do not know how Jerry is with cats or livestock, but expect families to be prepared to work through any potential issues and ensure a safe and happy living environment for all.
Jerry is currently a guest at the Maine location of Give a Dog a Home in Sebec (about 45 miles from Bangor). If you’re lucky enough to be close by, please contact the rescue for more information about Jerry and all of his friends. You can send an email to [email protected] or fill out an online application if you’re interested in adopting any of them.
I don’t know the story behind it, but this rescue also has a group of cats rescued from Afghanistan!
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!