Holding Out Hope For Ana
This poor girl has been with us since she was a 4 month old pup, and was feral for all intents and purposes. A kind man
was able to trap her and bring her to us with the hope that we might be able to turn her around. We attempted to present her
for adoption, thinking that someone with a soft spot for tough cases would take her, but we had no interest from anyone. When
she was only 8 months old, the vets discovered that she had extremely bad hips, and we did not expect her to live comfortably
for long. We felt that she could continue to be fostered by one of the rescue’s founders, who would monitor her condition
closely, but that this latest piece of information made her basically beyond adoption. Really, there are just so few people
in the world willing and able to undertake such a needy case---how in the world would we ever find one for her? And we did
not want to face a family with the tough decision of how long Ana could function comfortably.
Amazingly, Ana has continued to surprise us. Although still very, very shy, she is sociable on her own terms, in her own
time. She will sit for petting and loving as long as the human is also seated. She will often jump up on the couch and initiate
the attention, even with people she has never met before. She has NEVER shown any aggression towards humans, she simply runs
off when she is frightened. She plays with toys and snuggles with her doggie friends. Ana gets on well with every dog she
has ever met, and runs and plays with exuberance despite the conditions of her hips. She has required very little pain medicine
up to this point, and if you did not know she had hip issues, you would not be able to tell by watching her play. Ana is house
trained and has been living in a home with multiple other dogs the entire time she has been at NMAR. Like any young dog, she
*may* find something to chew up if you leave exciting things laying around, but those episodes have been very, very few and
far between. Despite her special factors, she is basically an easy house guest to have.
At this point, Ana is approximately 3 years old and weighs about 40 pounds. She is spayed, up to date on shots, micro chipped,
heartworm negative and on preventative medicine to keep her that way. Recently, a volunteer became adamant that Ana be given
another chance to find a Forever Home. Thus, we are officially presenting her for consideration of adoption by The Right Humans.
Having worked with EXTREMELY shy dogs before, and having seen incredible turnarounds, this volunteer really believes that
Ana can lead an even fuller life. In a home where the humans only had one or two dogs, and the time to work with Ana, she
really believes that the changes will be remarkable. Ana would do best living with well-adjusted dogs whom she can model herself
after, as well as patient and calm humans who will take on a calm leadership role and give her confidence. She will need to
follow a pain medicine regime designed by your vet, who can also discuss more elaborate options regarding her care should
you choose to follow that path. It looks like, with the right interventions, Ana can live a long, happy life.
Due to the relocation of the rescue facility and some changes in living arrangements, Ana’s foster situation will
be no longer once the new facility is built. At that time, she will need to live in a kennel and run with the other adoptable
dogs. Obviously, that set up will not encourage further social development, nor have the luxuries of a home with a comfortable
couch to sleep on. We are concerned that this change may cause Ana to backslide…thus the volunteer’s push to give
Ana another chance at The Right Humans.
There are wonderful, giving, dedicated people out there with a talent for animals with special needs. With all our hearts,
we are hoping that one of those people is in a position to take Ana into his home and into his heart. This poor girl has had
such a tough break in life, wouldn’t it be fulfilling to be the one who gave her permanent peace and security?
If you feel you are Ana’s Human, please visit
