Truffle is possibly one of the biggest success stories for the staff and volunteer handlers at the shelter. She first came to the shelter in May 2009 along with two other dogs she had been living with. They were friendly and confident and, though lacking any training, they were soon adopted. Truffle, however, had not been so fortunate and her life experiences had made her petrified of everything and everyone. When Truffle was taken out of her kennel and brought to the handlers, she would shake and try to make herself invisible. Sensitive to noise, movement and touch, watching her frozen with fear was absolutely heartbreaking, made worse by knowing there was no way to comfort her and let her know how safe she was. No one knew if poor Truffle would ever improve enough to be able to live a normal life in a normal, noisy, busy home. Little by little, each time Truffle came out, her shaking would decrease, the tail would become less tucked and her eyes would be raised a little further from the floor toward her handlers. Eventually she began to sit for quiet petting and a bit of tail wagging.
Today, we have a whole new Truffle...unrecognizable from the dog who arrived at the shelter more than a year ago. Truffle takes all treats gently, follows all of her obedience commands and plays with toys and tennis balls. Her favorite thing in the whole wide world is love and hugs and then some more love and hugs.
So, why do we still have such a great dog? Probably because she is a pit-bull and so many people just cannot see past the bad press and tough image. Honestly, it doesn't matter. Truffle is happy and safe and we think that she deserves only the best home, which we know we'll find for her some day...Maybe it's your home!
