The Next Day

Hobo's Story

 

A Special Rescue

The Law of Attraction
Reported By: Kelly Nelson, President

It's true that the like-minded eventually find their way into each others lives. We have found many kindred souls over the years and most recently were brought together with a wonderful woman named Audrey. Audrey contacted us two days before the new year arrived asking for our help with a beautiful dog we have since named "Zoë".

Zoë had been living in the LeMay Recycling lot off of Pacific Ave and 146th for about 7 months. She caught the attention of many people who passed her on their way to church, to their houses, or to the quaint restaurant that sat across from her "home". Some people were able to give her a quick pat on the head or a nice little chin scratch, but no one had been able to get a leash on her. So, her faithful friends came out devotedly to visit with her, provide her with food, and to pray for her safety and well-being.


After reading Audrey's email, I forwarded her plea out to our group and within a day had people emailing back ready to begin the process of a delicate rescue! The case was similar to that of Hobo's, a rescue from back in 2006, but also unique as all cases are. Surprisingly, Zoë even looked a bit like Hobo!

Everyday, our volunteers would observe Zoë and, in doing so, met the many good people who had grown to love her. Zoë was brought meals fit for a queen from Gateway Cottage and from individuals sharing their favorite foods. Sticky rice, dinner rolls with peanut butter, KFC mashed potatoes, and other goodies that would already be scarfed down (as evidenced by the empty plates) by the time volunteers arrived!

Desperation began to set in as the weather turned nasty. Despite the comfy bed that someone set up for her in a 20' moving container, Zoë slept under some trees in, what she felt, was a safe place. Her paws remained damp and red from all the rain and sleet and she would fall asleep standing up always in alert-mode. Debra, our KSF volunteer who took lead of the case, pulled out the big guns and requested some serious reinforcements- Hobo and Lisa, one of Hobo's caregivers before he found his adoptive family!

Lisa was an integral force in Hobo's rescue and devoted much time into his healing process. She learned how to use Tellington T-Touch from Marnie Black and honed her animal communication skills as taught by Shawndra Michell. Debra and Lisa rounded up a few others and in no time were back out with Zoë armed with patience and determination.

Many people ask, "How did you do it- how did you get her to come to you?" There is no one "thing" that is done to rescue an animal. There is no magic word or specific technique. It is our belief that several things must be happening in order to complete a successful rescue:

1. You must commit to the animal and see the rescue through
 2. Your intent must be pure- to have the animal's welfare at the forefront and know that
     the rescue is about the animal, not you
 3. You must accept that every situation is different and needs to be addressed
     accordingly
 4. You must commit to observations for determining the best course of action and to
     allow for an organized attempt
 5. You must respect the animal and be able to recognize boundaries
 6. You must explore ways to safely gain trust from the animal                           
 7. You must respect the legal issues such as the rights of the property owners 
 8. You must be open-minded and allow all help that is available to be utilized       
 9. You must be prepared for what comes after the physical rescue
10. You must believe that it will happen

It was discussed that a leash with a "D" ring would need to be used once the opportunity presented to secure Zoë. The good folks at Green Cottage Pets squared us away with a hemp rope leash. Lisa describes the actual moment just before and after she placed the leash on Zoë:

Zoë approached me almost immediately, so I sat down and began to talk to her aloud. While still a little guarded and aware, Zoë allowed me to pet her, perform a few Tellington T-Touch techniques on her, rub her belly, and joined me in playing with a squeaky toy we had brought.

It was evident that she was beginning to open up, let me into her world, and relax. As she lay on the blanket next to me, I was able to play with the soft leash around her face, draping it over her nose and halfway on her head. That’s as far as I got for the next two hours. It was almost like she sensed what I was doing and then would wander off before returning to me to repeat the pets, t-touch, and play.

After a couple of hours of this, Zoë sat down just outside of my reach. I inched my way closer and was stretching out to pet her while I gently talked to her about what it would be like to have a safe, warm and loving place to live. She was closing her eyes enjoying the sun, soft touches and talk, when I slowly looped the leash around her neck.

Zoë was startled and I immediately, yet slowly, got up and began to walk with her. There was no struggle and Donna came over to help. Zoë jumped up putting her paws on my shoulder as if she were relieved, yet afraid, of what would happen. She did the same thing to Donna and we walked her to the dog crate where she showed some distress when we tried to coax her into it. At that point, we decided to walk her over to Debra’s car and Zoë put her front paws on the back bumper. Donna raised Zoë's back side into the car and the hatch was closed. Zoë settled down in the car quickly and closed her eyes while Donna, Debra and I discussed the next step.

Click here to read about Zoë's arrival to her foster home and current status