Hello, my name is Fran. It’s a little rough for me to sit down and write to you, as it stirs up some pretty recent hurt, but I know that if I want to find My Human and become Somebody‘s Dog, I have to put my heart on the line. So here I go.

I first came to the rescue when I was just a puppy. Someone found me running loose through traffic in Charlotte and wanted to get me somewhere safe. The people at the rescue weren’t worried…they said I was gorgeous and friendly and smart and fun, and that a home would come along soon. Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, that didn’t happen. I stayed at the facility until I was about 8 months old, when I was FINALLY adopted. I was still sweet and loving and fun, but life at a rescue can change a dog. Prolonged time in a shelter without a family of our own can affect our ability to deal with stress, and apparently that is what happened to me. When my new family got me home, they found out that I had some anxiety issues. It turns out that I didn’t handle the crate well. And they lived in an apartment so they didn’t have a fenced in yard for me to play when they had to go out. They tried really hard, and brought me everywhere with them that they could, but the reality of life is that SOMETIMES a dog needs to stay home. It was at those times when I got so upset that I did some damage to their property (since I couldn’t be in a crate to keep me from getting into their stuff).

So, after about four months of trying everything they knew to try, they brought me back to the rescue. That was just last week, that’s why this is all still pretty raw. Everyone feels that the situation would have been a lot better if I had a yard to stay in, and the family was hoping that someone would come along that could provide me with that. They also considered getting me another dog to keep me company, but in their apartment, there just wasn’t room. So, again, they were hoping that the humans at the rescue would be able to find me a home better suited to address my fear by getting me a home with a brother or sister. I am so thankful to those people for all of their love and efforts, and I don’t blame them at all for what they had to do. And thankfully they don’t blame me either…they understood that a dog that had been tossed aside would have some issues about being left behind. I honestly don’t mean to do anything bad….when I am alone it reminds me of being dumped when I was a baby…I mean how do I really KNOW that the humans will come back this time? No matter how many times they tell me they’ll be back, I sort of flash back to how scary it is to be on my own, unsure of how I’d take care of myself. I am all about My Pack…give me a group and I know we can handle anything. But the world is a scary place for a girl on her own.

So, I’m willing to try again if you are. I love other dogs and I ride well in a car. I am very sweet and affectionate and love to learn. I also love to play, so if you need someone to keep you active during a hike or a swim or a run, I am your girl. Even with my situational anxiety, I was never, ever anything other than a sweet and trustworthy girl….no growling or anything, ever! I really hope that someone will give me a chance and not be scared off…I know that my being honest might cause a lot of people to pass me by, but to me, honesty is the only way to go. We dogs don’t believe in deceiving people. And we believe in giving second---and third and fourth and fifth and sixth----chances. I have to believe that there are humans out there that feel the same way. Sometimes the bigger the chance you are willing to take, the bigger the joy you will end up experiencing. I took a really big chance by telling my story and exposing my hurt…are you willing to do the same?

Faithfully waiting for my next chance,

Fran

Fran is about a year old now, spayed, micro chipped, heartworm negative (and on preventative medicine to insure that this remains the case), and up to date on all of her shots. She is looking for a home with a fenced in yard, and another dog. But if you happen to be dogless at the moment, we’d be happy to help you out by adopting a loving companion along with Miss Fran!! If you are interested in adopting Fran, or any of our other wonderful dogs, please visit our website at www.northmecklenburganimalrescue.org to fill out an application. If you aren’t ready to add to your family at this time, but would like to help the dogs, please visit our “ways you can help” page for more information on a variety of opportunities, from volunteering to sponsoring and everything in between. Thanks for your interest, and we are all looking forward to meeting some people who believe in second chances. And third, and fourth, and fifth, and sixth….