Charity Begins at Home Marina Kinney

Marina Kinney - Enfield, NH

Whenever a family brings a new pet home, there is some degree of uncer- tainty 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.

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 per- son 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 excit- ed whenever they receive updates on her progress. Peg got in touch with UVHS in July 2020 to let everyone know how Char- ity 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 surround- ings. 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 happi- ness 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

family right away, we caution you to give your new pet some time to settle in. Going from the shelter to a home environment can be very overwhelming. Giving them time to get to know you and your home first can help ease their transition. 2) Leash Them Up!: Keeping a leash on your dog in the house when you first get them home can be incredibly helpful. By stepping on the leash or picking up the leash, you can prevent your new dog from running away from you, getting into things, or marking (house-soiling).

If you do not have a fenced-in yard, we recommend keeping your dog on a leash outside until you are 100% confident that they will come when you call. Remember, your dog is brand-new to you. Letting it off-leash too soon could result in your dog running away. 3) Introductions: Making introductions too quickly can be very stressful for all involved. By taking your time and introducing everyone slowly, you will hopefully have one big happy family. With any introductions, make sure you’re totally comfortable with interactions before leaving them alone together!

Teach your kids to respect the new dog. When they engage, watch the dog for signs of stress, such as licking their lips.

If you have a dog at home already, you hopefully had a dog introduction before adopting. When you get home, acquaint

them slowly over a couple of weeks and give them plenty of time away from one another.

When introducing your dog to your cat(s), make sure you do so in a place where your cats can safely retreat if needed. Having your dog on a leash during the introduction will help give you more control over the introduction. Some hissing, growling, swatting from your cat is to be expected. Treats as a reward for good behavior are always a great idea for both dogs and cats!

If you have space in your heart and home for a new pet, make sure to visit our website at www.UVHS.org.