6/17/13 New Vignette by Haley

I was only about 35 pounds when I came to St. Louis.  Mary had put some weight on me, but I was still kind of skinny and always hungry!  I ate every bite of food anyone gave me—except I didn’t like the treats.  But I liked the cheap dog food that Jackie referred to as my “junk food” so I got pieces of that for treats.  Then we discovered the small Milkbone Marrow Bones—oh, my, they are still my favorites.  Jackie calls those “candy,” and I will usually come from anywhere to get my candy.  It’s usually reserved for when she leaves me home and goes away—or after my dinner for dessert.

But now I am over 50 pounds and since I don’t lick my bowl clean regularly, I notice it’s not quite as full as it was, and I am on something called “a diet.”  I’ve learned to eat little pieces of chicken, hamburger, steak, and even bits of pork chop.  Once I even ate a piece of scrambled egg—but I picked it up and put it down three times before I really ate it.

6/14/13 Update:

Haley’s foster mom, Jackie, has submitted wonderful vignettes of Haley’s progress in her home.  We will post them here regularly as updates.

Vignettes by Haley

When I first came to Jackie’s house, everything was new again. So I paced and paced in her backyard.  Around and around I went until I wore a path completely around the yard and through the periwinkle and the euonymus.  I’m proud to say that I hardly ever do that anymore and most of the grass has grown back and the periwinkle and euonymus are thriving!!

Then I found that I could stay out in the yard and didn’t just have to go out and potty and come back in.  So I found my hidey place in a corner of the yard and would curl up and snooze.  I even found a  place where I could go behind some big vines, and Jackie couldn’t see me very well—the first time this happened she was really worried that I had managed to escape somehow.

1/31/13 Update:

Haley’s been with us not quite a year and a half. She came to us from a puppy mill is Missouri by way of National Mill Dog Rescue in Colorado.  She’s now about 6 years old and still very shy and wary.  She’s also very healthy, spayed and up-to-date on her vaccinations and tests.  She’s come a long way and we’re proud of each of her breakthroughs.  She has been fostering with Jackie Parchman since October 18, and before that with Mary Riggs.

She’s happiest when playing with other dogs, especially puppies, and when she has company, she’s much more like a normal dog.  She seems to need another dog to show her how to live with people in a house.  I’ve taken my female Sammy, Josie, over to play several times, and Haley is beside herself with joy! She’s come from leaning as far away from a human as possible to venturing close enough to take a treat from our hands. She’s still not ready to come up for petting or cuddling. Truth be told, she may never be. But if you want or have to touch her for any reason, she will stand still for you.

1/9/13  Updates Coming Soon

In August of 2011, three female Samoyeds, 1 year, 2 years and 5 years old were picked up from a puppy miller in Mt. Vernon, MO by National Mill Dog Rescue. They were taken to Colorado Springs for vet care and evaluation. The two younger Sammies stayed in Colorado with Denver Samoyed Rescue. The older female, now named Haley, came to us.

Haley is a beautiful Sammy girl. She weighs about 35 lbs. When you see her, the first thing you want to do is pet her and hug her and tell her that she’s adorable. But you can’t because that’s the very last thing that Haley wants done to her. In fact, the greatest reward you can give is your absence. The truth is that she’s feral and it’s going to take a lot of time, patience, and caring to bring her to the point that she wants to be part of a world with humans in it.

She had begun her socialization process at Misfit Rehab and was making some “little baby steps” with learning to accept walking on a leash. She was joining in on the morning and afternoon walks and not fighting it too much.

Unfortunately, she contracted an infection in her intestines which put a halt to her progress.  After several weeks of medical tests, the correct medicine was found, and she’s now doing very well. She will have to be on this medication for her lifetime. She will be going back to Misfit to continue her learning and socialization with humans.

Haley has a long way to go and we’re very optimistic that she can break through and actually want to be with people.

Samoyeds with serious health and/or behavioral problems are a challenge.  The cost for rehabilitation is high, sometimes up to several thousand dollars per dog for these special needs cases.

Your tax deductible donation will help Haley along her road to recovery as well as all of the Samoyeds in our care.  Your donation goes towards veterinary care, boarding, food, professional training, and grooming expenses.

Would you consider donating today?  It’s simple, click on the “Donate” link at the top of the page, and select a donation amount of your choosing.  Every dollar helps.

Thank you, from all of us at St. Louis Samoyed Rescue