Photo Contest

Pet number and name:
007 - Sallie and Holly

Submitted by: Elizabeth - PA, USA

25% of profits to:
Willing Hearts Dalmatian Rescue

WILLING HEARTS DALMATIAN RESCUE

Happy Endings -  Holly and Sallie
Rescued, December 2001


They were rescued on a dark December morning in 2001, these two almost feral, outdoor only, Corning, New York farm dogs.  The elderly farm owners and their son agreed to surrender the dogs, sisters from the same litter, and help with catching and crating them as they were terrified of strangers.  The rescue was as traumatic for the rescuers as the rescued.  Rescuer Jamie remembers there was a huge bale of hay standing on end, and the son went over and grabbed this Dal from inside the hay bale.  Of course, the dal reacted - fighting this hog-tying for all she was worth!  It was like what they do at rodeos - it was horrible.  The son kind of forced this squirming/wrestling/whining dal into the crate.  I felt so bad for her.  She wanted nothing to do with the crate, the car, me; she just wanted to be out and run!  The same scene occurred at the shed - with the son hog-tying another dal out to the van.  She was just as scared and quickly plastered herself to the back of the crate.  Both of them were shaking uncontrollably, nary a sound out of their mouths, staring at me like I was the evil one, Rescuer Marge added, The scene I will never forget was the look on either Sallie or Holly's face as the son was carrying her to the van - she was urinating out of fear and it was just the most heart wrenching thing to see.  We left and part way down the road we pulled over, covered our faces and cried, we were so shaken.  We tried to convince each other we had done the right thing.

Many hours later Holly and Sallie were in the care of Marc.  Marc has worked in many shelters and has handled a lot of dogs.  He is an experienced fosterer and will evaluate the girls.  He carries the crates into his house and puts the girls in the kitchen.  Sallie finally comes out of the crate, eats and drinks.  She is the more social one; Marc is able to get a collar on her.  Holly continues to stay in the crate, goes most of the day without eating or drinking - she makes attempts to come out of the crate until Marc looks at her - finally gives in at night.  Marc is lying on the kitchen floor, pretending to read a book, studying them.  He's giving them time.  He believes both dogs are of good temperament, not aggressive, just very frightened.

This may have been their first night ever inside a heated house, and their first cooked dinner - boiled chicken.  And, most touching of all, the first night they sleep with a human on a warm kitchen floor.  Unfortunately, this would also be their last night together.  As much as WHDR wants to keep them together, they both need a lot of work and attention with experienced fosterers to get them socialized.  So it is decided: Holly stays with Marc in Pennsylvania and Sallie moves on to another experienced fosterer, Tina, in Ohio.