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Bear
Bear and his sister were frequently overlooked due to their bark and hesitancy to approach people.
Their journey
- Bear arrived at the shelter as a young puppy, one of two unclaimed puppies of his litter. Alongside his sister, he was constantly overlooked because of his guarded nature.
- A long time volunteer decided to give Bear and his sister Summer a chance to gain their trust at their pace.
- After connecting with the volunteer at a dog Day Out event, Bear went to foster care where he learned basic training skills to help him improve his confidence and trust in people.
- His Foster took him hiking with her and her dog, who happened to be an alumni of the shelter as well. Bear was much more comfortable around another dog and was able to learn from his new friend.
- Bear later attended his first adoption event with his sister Summer, who had been fostered away from him. Neither of them had any luck that day.
- The two later attended a second adoption event, where one of the volunteers fell in love with both of them and decided to adopt them together after 14 months of residing at the shelter.
The reward of seeing a shy overlooked dog like Bear blossom into an engaging pup during fostering and adopted after - gives you the drive to continue with fostering.
Linda Rockhill, PALS Foster Parent, Carroll County
What made the difference
Bear's foster family was critical in helping him gain trust in humans and learn basic training skills. Without a foster home, Bear may have never had the opportunity to find his forever home.
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