Today, I met Dr. Ford and she bid farewell to Ellie. No doubt Dr. Ford bonded with Sallie and Ellie, as they became a part of her office for three months. Despite the demands of housing two extra dogs for such an extended stay, Dr. Ford was lovely and welcoming to the two girls. This in sharp contrast to the first vet to whom Sallie and Ellie were delivered by Officer Petitt, who began demanding within a day their removal from his office under threat of euthanasia.
Ellie thanks Dr. Ford for the wonderful care while she healed.
I drove Ellie to a meeting point halfway between home and Atlanta, where Lori lives. We had dinner at Waffle House, taking a booth by the window so we could keep an eye on Ellie. Over our meal, we discussed both dogs and the precautions we will take while they are in foster. Sallie and Ellie have proven themselves lovely with humans, young and old alike. However, the great unknown remains their behavior toward other animals.
Both Lori and I have dogs and cats. While we foster Sallie and Ellie, the girls will remain segregated from our other pets. We are not dog behavioral specialists and we know that these girls were saved from terrible conditions where they were likely exposed to the evils of dog fighting. They were chained and neglected and undoubtedly received and witnesses unimaginable cruelty.
Lori and Ellie in the parking lot before heading to Atlanta!We are both seeking out the assistance of an animal behaviorist, now that the girls are no longer in an institutional setting, to help us ascertain what, if any, level of dog aggression they may have. Both are certainly too interested in cats for our comfort. Ideally, we will find families who have no other pets and only want one dog. They will thrive in this environment.
As I type this, Sallie is once again splayed out like a frog at my feet with her chin resting on my toes. She craves the closeness and affection of human contact. I have not introduced her to my dogs and I am lucky to have a set-up that allows me to segregate the animals with ease. Lori too has such a set-up.
I suppose I may be over-reacting. But then again, perhaps I am not. The bully breeds get a bad rap and it frustrates me that the world chooses to ignore the cause of animal cruelty and the effect of aggression. I am not convinced by those who argue that Pit Bulls are just aggressive and that is the way it is. I have my own Staffy, Miley, out in the yard with my AmStaff/Catahoula mix, Sue. I have had both dogs since they were babies and neither dog is aggressive. In fact, when I foster dogs for a local animal rescue, Miley and Sue play an integral part in teaching these foster dogs some manners.
But Sallie and Ellie do not have the benefit of having been raised with love and affection. They were rewarded for displays of aggression toward other animals. The tragic element of all this, of course, is this unwanted behavior (ie. dog aggression) was learned for the sake of pleasing their former master. So now, as they finally head toward a real life with real love deserving of real loyalty, they may be limited by who can adopt them.
I could be wrong. They may turn out to be just fine with other animals. They have certainly interacted with one another before without incident. Officer Petitt assessed them both on two occasions and did not detect any aggression, save for Ellie's heightened interest in cats. But I have been involved in rescue long enough to realize that assessments, no matter how thorough, are not the complete measure of a dog's behavioral potential. I have seen it too many times before. I know there must be two families out there for whom the love and affection of just one dog will be plenty. And I assure you, these two have plenty of love and affection for the entire family.
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