Charity Begins
at
Home
Marina Kinney - Enfield, NH
W
henever a family brings a new pet home, there is some degree of uncertainty about the pet’s true personality. Though modern shelters like UVHS work hard to reduce stress on the animals and enrich their experience, it still remains an unfamiliar place. For that reason, pets can behave differently in animal shelters and only let their true colors shine when they relax into a new, loving home with a family they can call their own. That was the case with a dog named Charity. Charity was rescued from a meat factory in South Korea. In April 2016, she came to UVHS through the husband of our former executive director. Charity’s journey was difficult, to say the least. Having been raised in a metal cage, her paws were deformed and her toes splayed. She may not have ever seen the outside of her cage at the meat farm. At UVHS, she had to learn how to walk on normal floors and even grass, which was also a phenomenon to her. In fact, it took her a couple of months to conquer her fear of the play yard.
10 4 Legs & a Tail
She was a quirky dog with a dark past and needed a very special human to love her. It took over two years until that person came along. When Peg met Charity, she started crying and exclaimed that she was so excited to bring her home and give her all of the love she deserved. Peg knew it was going to be a journey with many ups and downs, but she was prepared and had patience. All of the staff at UVHS cried tears of joy when Charity went home and are excited whenever they receive updates on her progress. Peg got in touch with UVHS in July 2020 to let everyone know how Charity is doing. “Charity-Ann is just thriving in family life. She is such a character - she is sweet, lovable, and loves her kids to the moon and back as they do her. Once I realized she is blind as a bat, all the problems were resolved. She no longer charges people or attacks everybody that approaches her if they just talk to her first. She is very relaxed now and very secure with her surroundings. We are together 24/7. She sleeps with her face on my shoulder and sits with me all day while I work. She is so human and smart it is just unreal. Charity is in good hands and living like a queen.” Charity is incredibly lucky that she found Peg and that Peg had the patience and understanding to let her canine friend adjust to her new home. Staff at UVHS are always available to assist families that adopt from us no matter how long it’s been. We want to help address behavioral issues or concerns that families have to ensure their happiness and the well being of their new furry family member. In case you’ve recently adopted a dog or are considering it, here are some of the helpful tips we offer adopters: 1) When You Get Home, Give Them Time to Settle: While it is tempting to introduce your dog to your friends and extended Fall 2020
