Ava

Ava is a 6 month old pure bred female German Shepherd. Ava’s story began when her rescuer went out to look at an adult GSD advertised in the local newspaper. When she arrived at the property, the adult dog was there, along with a litter of 8 week old puppies. It had recently rained, and there appeared to be a large blob or lump in the yard, but closer examination revealed that this was in fact a puppy…one that couldn’t run or play with the others…one that was clearly in distress. The breeder claimed that the momma dog attacked the puppy who approached her when she was eating.

With a true rescuer’s spirit, the rescuer’s teenage daughter walked out in the mud and scooped up the puppy that was wet, cold and covered in mud. (Unbelievably, the breeder had the nerve to charge $100 for the battered, forgotten puppy!) The following day, the lady and her kind-hearted daughter took the puppy, whom they had named “Ava”, to the vet for a full work up. Once all of the mud was washed off her head, the true horror was revealed: The puppy had a huge pus-filled abscess on its face and a raging infection. The vet took the 8 week old puppy into emergency surgery and cut away a large amount of skin and fur from Ava’s forehead. When the operation was finished and Ava was stitched back up, she looked like a Franken-baby with stitches and staples all over her face. She had the cutest round puppy belly, big clumsy puppy feet, and a horribly mangled head. Thanks to the quick action and compassion of this incredible family, two days after the emergency surgery, Ava started running and playing with the family’s dogs!

As Ava’s wounds began to heal, the family noticed that she wasn’t very co-ordinated. She often stumbled and fell over. The vet said to give her time, with the type of injury she had to her head she may have sustained some brain damage. Her co-ordination began to get better but she was never at the level of other puppies her age. Yet Ava’s amazingly happy disposition could not be shaken! In spite of all that she had been through, this little survivor remained affectionate and cheerful!

Ava’s story is touching on every front—from the teenage girl who couldn’t leave a puppy to languish in pain, to the loving parents who invested thousands of dollars to help Ava heal, guardian angels were working overtime for Ava. Now that she’s stronger and her wounds are healed, it’s time for her to find a home of her own where she can flourish.

UPDATE 7/10/08
After the wonderfully tender and dedicated care of her rescue family, Ava is now 1 year old and has developed into an intoxicating 58 pound little bundle of love. Ava led a sheltered life for her first year. Her rescue family concentrated on getting her healthy, but a special effort has been made with her current foster family to work with her and she is being exposed to more and more everyday ordinary scenarios. She seems to be taking it all in stride.

Ava’s previous developmental delays are no longer apparent and she has proven to be a quick learner. With a very soft touch and gentle reinforcement she has blossomed into a star pupil, learning to walk on a leash in a very short time. She will be going through beginning obedience training to help her with some little lady manners.

She is perfectly housebroken, learning how to access through a dog door on her first day.
Ava has a sensitive digestive system and cannot be fed just anything or it will result in upsetting her tummy. This is likely due to the horrible case of Giardia that ravaged her tiny body when she was only weeks old and went untreated by the breeder who left her damaged body for dead. She loves children, gets along with large and small dogs, and does not appear to care about small furry creatures such as cats or squirrels!!!

Ava bonds deeply and will be extremely dedicated to her forever people following them around at a distance to be near them. Because of her bonding she finds new homes and strange surroundings very frightening and will take some time to bond to her new people. She is a creature who loves routine and will thrive with having a quiet hideaway to call her own when she wants her alone time. She is generally quiet, but will protest and eventually settle down when isolated.

A word of caution: A few minutes of petting Ava and you better check your heart for she may have stolen it!

Are you the very special home with the soft touch and gentle reinforcement that can give Ava the love that she is longing for? She is our special girl who deserves a home that is aware of all that she went through, is willing to continue to work with her, and can care for her throughout her life.

If you are interested in meeting Ava, please complete an application online and contact mdalescomm@aol.com for more information.