By Janet McAfee
It was December 24, 2015, and most folks were busy with last minute preparations for the Christmas holiday. Vanessa Ruggles and Curtis Sweesy, Loving All Animals’ foster parents, spotted a photo on Facebook of a German Shepherd at the main Riverside county shelter with a desperate plea for rescue help. The dog’s tragic face, sadly wearing reindeer antlers, was devoid of hope on that Christmas Eve. To make matters worse, the shelter would close for the long holiday weekend. The Facebook networker stated that the dog was “fearful, Rescue Only” which meant she was not available to the public for adoption. Many comments were made on Facebook, but no animal welfare group stepped up to take her.
We quickly realized the dog was in imminent danger of being euthanized. Curtis and Vanessa offered to make the 4-hour round trip to Western Riverside to save her, fighting the holiday traffic jamming the 60 and 91 freeways. I contacted the county’s rescue coordinator, giving them authorization to pull the 1 ½ year old Shepherd for Loving All Animals.
Vanessa and Curtis have extensive experience after fostering 14 mostly German Shepherd dogs, but even they were not fully prepared to see the extent of this pup’s issues. The shelter staff was not sure they could get the dog out of her kennel because she was so terrified. But they were resolute, and willing to do whatever it took. An employee finally emerged with the dog on a leash, crouched low with her belly against the ground, tail wedged firmly between her legs. She was small for her breed, tiny in stature, and very thin at 37 pounds. She was badly emaciated and had a recent wound on the side of her body. It was apparent she recently gave birth to puppies.
On the freedom ride home, they hated to think about how she was treated in her previous home. Most rescue dogs leave the shelter joyfully with wagging tails. Rescue is about “second chances” and this dog deserved a chance to overcome her past in a loving foster home. She was shy and nervous on the trip back to the Coachella Valley, but eventually gave thankful kisses to her saviors.
Once home, the dog soon eased into their pack of dogs. They named her Nagi (pronounced ‘Nahzee’) which means “soul” in Lakota Sioux. Curtis lovingly bathed Nagi and carried her around like a baby, the dog easing out of her fear as she wrapped her arms around him with a grateful hug. Watching fear turn to love is one of the joys of fostering an abused animal. Vanessa recalls, “Seeing this dog transform so quickly into a happy and loving animal was amazing. This is why I love fostering!”
Nagi has put on weight, and while her physical scars have healed, she is still overcoming the effects of past abuse. Vanessa reports that Nagi is still rather timid around new people, but warms up gradually once she senses they can be trusted.
Vanessa states, “Nagi is so special because she has obviously been mistreated in her life, but like so many of these rescue dogs, she just wants to love and trust so much. Her energy level is unique….this is not a dog who wants or needs to go hiking or out into the world for adventures. She is a homebody and couch potato. She would be perfect for someone who wants a young dog to be able to benefit from their companionship for many years to come. Her adopter must allow her to snuggle with them on the couch and bed, and would ideally let her sleep under the covers. Generally our fosters must sleep on their own beds, but she staked out a prime sleeping spot between me and Curtis early on and refuses to give it up.”
This is why we love our Loving All Animals’ foster parents! Please consider opening your heart and home to foster a homeless dog or cat. We especially need people willing to foster larger size dogs like Nagi. While it is certainly not required that the dog sleep on your bed, this has brought comfort to Nagi who feels safe from the closeness. Find out more at www.lovingallanimals.org, and contact us at (760) 834-7000 to find out how you can become part of our life saving foster team.
Jmcafee7@verizon.net
