Sometimes, a shelter dog finds a volunteer and gets into her/his heart immediately. That's what happened with Bo, a young Doberman who came to the shelter from another shelter.
Bo's ears were cropped in what looked like a do-it-yourself kitchen job. Where his ears should have been were little mushrooms. He was completely shut down and unresponsive. He could barely walk, was too nervous to take treats or sit. He was near to impossible to walk on a leash.
His volunteer came to see him every day for many weeks, and took him out around the ponds behind the shelter, where they spent many hours together, watching the birds. At first, Bo was too nervous to even sit. It took some time, but finally Bo sat, then he sat close to his volunteer, then he felt comfortable enough to lay down and give kisses!
About a month after Bo's arrival at the shelter, a rescue group came, tasked with choosing a few dogs to transfer to their care. They were very impressed with Bo--he was friendly and well-mannered. They took him right away. Several days later they called to let us know that Bo had been adopted into a great home.
This is not an unusual tale at our shelter...but it's the story we love to hear over and over. It's the reason volunteers give their time, energy and love--gladly. Everyone at the shelter has their own Bo story...or two or several dozen!
