A video taken by an animal rescuer showing a fearful dog cowering in the corner is enough to shake even the most hardened heart. Dallas Dog rescue was shown the video taken by a fellow rescuer at a south Texas animal shelter that was not open to the public and decided they had to step in and help.
The dog in question had been terribly abused by her former owner, who regularly beat her with a belt. Complaints from neighbors led to the dog being taken away by animal control. Yet, the dog had been so badly scarred by her experience that she could not control her fear of humans.
They wrote, “She pees with touch of a hand, she shakes in fear and in the presence of humans, this is where we come in we will show her GRACE, LOVE and PATIENCE she will learn that humans are not ALL bad!”
Upon taking the dog from the shelter, Dallas Dog decided to name her Gia, which they said was “of Italian origin meaning ‘God’s gracious gift’ ... that is what she is.” The non-profit based in Southeast Dallas has a long record of desperate cases and knew that it would take a lot of love to show Gia that people could be anything but terrifying.
Once she arrived at Dallas Dog’s rescue house, she finally had the company of other dogs to introduce some normalcy in the comfort of other dogs. A video from the organization revealed that she remained underneath the nearest bed whenever people came near. Yet, she was at least starting to see an abuse-free environment.
“During the day she has the opportunity to run with a few of the smaller dogs she is enjoying bonding with the dogs,” they wrote in a Facebook update. “She watches their behavior with the humans and that will begin the process of trusts and she will adjust to the routine.”
As the days went on, Gia gradually became more adventurous, leaving the house to go out and play with the other dogs in the yard and making eye contact with the volunteers. The next step was veterinary care, which like everything else, had been neglected by her abusive former owner.
A dedicated fosterer worked with Gia throughout her process coming out of her shell, taking the necessary time and going at Gia’s own pace according to her comfort level.
The weeks went by, and thanks to the foster mom’s Boston terriers and lots and lots of gifts from people who heard Gia’s story online, Gia finally settled in. She became a “chatty little girl” eager to let her fosterer know when she wanted to play or have treats and jump up onto a warm spot on the sofa.
Citing Gia’s incredible recovery, though, the organization is asking for donations to help others out there like her. “This is what we do every day we change the lives of the voiceless!” they added.
