Slinky is a “somebody do something” dog in Demopolis. She lived her life on a chain with minimum shelter. We got multiple calls on her over the years. Animal control got multiple reports about her as well. It was heartbreaking to see her curled up in her muddy little confined area. However, animal control can only do what the laws and city ordinances allow.
Slinky is a prime example of the negative effects of chaining a dog. We called her “sketchy” the first few weeks after we pulled her from animal control. She would not let anyone near her. Slinky was terrified of people which came out as aggression towards all of us. Chained dogs become lonely, depressed, bored, attention-deprived and, in many cases, aggressive because their owners do not check on or interact with them enough. Dogs are naturally social beings who need interaction with humans and/or other animals. Intensive confinement or long-term restraint can severely damage their physical and psychological well-being. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously chained or intensively confined in any way, becomes neurotic, unhappy, anxious, and often aggressive. Slinky has made some real progress since being with Bigbee Humane Society. She is thriving now. She can positively interact with most dogs, walks well on a leash, doesn’t growl when meeting new people, and is very gentle and well-mannered with children. We estimate Slinky to be about 3-5 yrs old, 40lbs, spayed, vaccinated and heartworm positive. She will soon be treated for her heartworms.
Babette’s Conversation with “Slinky May”
It’s funny how dogs who don’t look anything alike remind us of each other. Slinky May reminds me of my new dog Pearl, who showed up under our porch a few days into the New Year of 2022. Pearl weighed 2.4 pounds and was probably only six weeks old. But for some reason, when I look into Slinky May’s eyes, I see Pearl looking back at me. Pearl’s eyes are so dark that they’re almost black. There’s really nothing about these two dogs that resemble each other physically.
But I can tell by looking into Slinky May’s eyes that like Pearl, she’s been hurt by people. She’s been betrayed. She trusted and had that trust broken. She wants to trust humans, but she needs to experience unconditional love to really believe that she has a chance at a good life, that she can really relax and know that her people will take care of her and protect her no matter what.
Our little dog Pearl has known nothing but love since she came to us, but she still runs, flinches, and cowers when we try to pick her up. Sometimes those bone-deep betrayals take some time—and a believing friend or family member—to get over.
When I first connected in with Slinky May, tears came to my eyes and my throat felt tight with emotion. This precious dog has been abused and mistreated. But she still wants to believe in people, and she still hopes that someone will believe in her.
But when I think of how Slinky May will be when she’s experienced true love and acceptance, she also reminds me a lot of our dog Jack, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge years ago. (And she looks like Jack too, though Jack had one blue eye and was missing a back leg). Jack was also betrayed by the people he trusted. But with time and love, he became the best dog I’ve ever had the honor and privilege of knowing.
Slinky May is going to be someone’s BEST GOOD DOG, a title we retired when Jack died. Since him, we’ve had good dogs, great dogs, and even fantastic dogs. But we’ll never have a BEST GOOD DOG again. We’ve had that, and we never hope to have it again.
But have you ever had a BEST GOOD DOG?
Could Slinky May be your BEST GOOD DOG? I hope so. Because she deserves it. And if you give her a chance, she’ll live up to and exceed your expectations.
Slinky is a good dog looking for a loving home where he can be active and help his family. Are you his people?
Contact the Bigbee Humane Society to learn more about how you can adopt a new family member today!
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