The Rescue‍‍

Snoopy was a stray dog who was found and rescued by a rescue team assembled by a local NGO. Snoopy was found badly injured and it was evident that he was in excruciating pain after being hit by a car. He did not want anyone getting near him and a blanket was needed to safely wrap and remove him from his hideout.

The Situation

After Snoopy was seen by a vet, it was determined that he needed one of his front legs amputated at the shoulder. One of his back legs was also badly injured and was causing him extreme pain. Snoopy's physical condition also indicated that he was abused by people as he had lots of scars and skin damage.

Snoopy was extremely fearful of people and would growl and bark fearfully whenever someone comes into his room at the shelter. He did not allow anybody to get near him as he was afraid for his life every time someone approaches. If someone gets closer than 6 feet to him, he starts to snarl, bark, and snap aggressively while curled up near the wall. This dog thought that every person that walks in that room was going to harm or kill him.

Behavior Modification

I was tasked with proving to the Humane Society of the United States that Snoopy was a dog that can be rehabilitated and is capable of living between people. If I succeeded, Snoopy would travel to the US for further rehab. To do this, I must help Snoopy learn how to deal with his fear without lashing out at people. For the next five weeks, I was visiting Snoopy on a regular basis and working on helping him get used to me and other people and teach him that nobody is going to harm him anymore. At first, I needed to get him to wear a muzzle for my safety and the safety of others who visit. Eventually, that muzzle was no longer needed, as we started to trust each other and feel safe around each other.

The Result

Five weeks was my time frame since that was when the Humane Society of the United States were going to perform their assessment and make a verdict on Snoopy. By the time the five weeks were up, Snoopy was a completely different dog. He was allowing me to approach him, brush him, pet him in all the sensitive areas (face, underbelly, limbs...) and he was not barking, growling, or lunging anymore. He even met other people and was okay with their presence near him and touching him. He was still fearful of course, but he had learned a new way to cope with the stress, displaying calming signals such as panting, lip licking, sniffing the ground, and moving away.

The decision was then made by the Humane Society to allow Snoopy to travel to start his new life :)

‍