Meet Oakley!

Oakley is a 7 month old Pit mix…maybe with Labrador…maybe German Shepherd…who knows other than a DNA test! She is current on vaccinations, microchipped and on heartworm and flea & tick preventatives. She is crate trained and potty trained but she goes out at regular intervals at her foster home and will need to continue to do that for consistency and reinforcement for potty training.

Now for Oakley’s backstory…Oakley was one sick, scared, shut down little girl when she came to us. Minimally, she has a neglectful background, perhaps even a traumatic one. If only they could tell us their story. She was not eating, drinking or romping around like a puppy should and ultimately it was discovered that Oakley had a linear intestinal obstruction, anchored in two places. Oakley had eaten what appears to be part of a collar or leash, perhaps in an attempt to break free of a tree she was tied to. Part of Oakley’s bowel was removed during surgery. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital before she was able to come back home to her foster family. Dr. Meadows and his staff at the Animal Hospital of Lakeport were critical in Oakley’s success. They went well above and beyond the call of duty, operating on her into the wee hours of the morning and provided pristine follow up care. They gave Oakley the gift of life and we cannot possibly thank them enough. ? Oakley’s digestive system, although sensitive, functions normally now. She had her 30+ staples removed. No more cone. She is feeling good!

Now medically recovered, Oakley is working on her social skills. At home with her foster mom she is ALL puppy! She romps and plays and jumps and gets into mischief like puppies do. She loves other dogs and doesn’t bother cats but she may be too much puppy for some feline friends. When her foster mom comes home, Oakley gets so excited that she smiles. Big. She loves going for walks with her foster mom, keeping her company in the kitchen, playing outside, cuddling. She is so attached that she even tries to climb in the bathtub with her. ? However, Oakley is petrified of men and most social situations. If she can, she will go into a corner or under something, curl up in a little ball to make herself as small as she can and tremble. Progress is being made…boiled chicken snacks help bring her out of her shell. And sometimes after observing for awhile she will wander out extremely cautiously and sit beside or behind her foster mom.

Although it would be easy to feel sorry for Oakley and her beginning in this world, feeling sorry for her does not create a happy, well-balanced dog and that’s a goal that Oakley needs to work toward. She will require someone willing to devote a great deal of time exposing her to new people, places and things and probably even attending training classes.

Her ideal family probably won’t include small children. She has a history of ingesting inedible objects and small toys laying around would not be ideal for a pup who has already lost part of her bowel. Additionally, they would likely frighten a puppy that shuts down easily. And last, Oakley, when startled, would be a flight risk and care will need to be taken to ensure her safety.

After undergoing major surgery on her abdomen, we are placing Oakley on a strict spay contract to give her time to heal before having another surgery.
Oakley requires a very special home with a concrete plan of growing Oakley into the best dog she can be! ?

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