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We are asking for donations to send Riley to behavioral rehabilitation. Any amount that you can give is greatly appreciated. Please read her story..below she deserves a chance....we need your help!
Love, Tabitha and Kristen
Riley has a special story. She was only 3 months old when she was abandoned by her owner in an apartment and left there to die. By the grace of God she was found by someone after three weeks with no food or water in this apartment. She was skin and bones and very skittish toward anyone who came near her.
Then enters Tabitha to Riley's life. Tabitha gave Riley a home, a life and more love than any dog could hope for. Riley attached herself to Tabitha immediately and the feeling was mutual on Tabitha's part. Tabitha refers to Riley as her daughter...not just her dog. They have been life companions for the past 7 years and have been there for each other through thick and thin.
Two years ago Tabitha fell in love with the love of her life, Kristen, who also had a dog, Bella. Bella is a 5 year old boxer who just wants to play and be a dog. Upon their first meeting Riley and Bella got along fine. After a couple of weeks they got into it for the first time. Tabitha and Kristen worked with both of the dogs to ease them into the relationship and living together. They separated them, excercised them, did things together with them and still the aggression continued on Riley's part. She was protective of Tabitha and her space and she wasn't giving it up.
As time continued on, Tabitha and Kristen worked with the dogs and things started to get better. The dogs could be left out alone together during the day and all would be well. They would play, eat together, go for car rides together, and even play at the dog park together.
Then on Monday, May 5th after coming home from dinner, they found Riley at the door covered in dried up saliva, some sort of blood, and Bella nowhere to be found. By the looks of the living room they clearly got in a fight and someone was bleeding. Tabitha found Bella outside laying in the grass very weak. Tabitha and Kristen checked over Riley and discovered that she was fine and rushed Bella to the emergency vet clinic for treatment. This time Riley had gone too far.
Tabitha and Kristen considered putting Riley down but stopped to ask themselves if Riley had a true chance of being rehabilitated from her agression. As a last ditch effort, they called Smart Dogs and had a consultation with an in home trainer. They waited to find out if Riley had a chance to change or needed to be euthanized.
Riley obediently listened to the trainer and went through each exercize showing both Tabitha and Kristen as well as the trainer that she had the ability to listen. As they went through Riley's "symptoms" the overwhelming fact that Riley had a dominiance issue was abundantly clear. And she needed to be broke of it in order to be functional in the household. She put herself above Tabitha and Kristen in the hierarchy of the house which is just unacceptable.
The result of this meeting is a 15 day stay at the Smart Dogs rehbilitation center where they will work with Riley 24/7 on her aggression, dominance, and separation anxiety to make her a more well rounded dog. And most importantly, avoid euthanizing her. In addition, they will take Bella for the last 5 days of Rileys treatment and work with the dogs together on their behavior and boundaries. Then, they will bring them home and get them acclamated in the house and be there for support for the rest of the dogs lives.
Tabitha and Kristen are also planning a wedding and trying to do all of this at the same time. They are asking for any help or donation that you can give to help send Riley to Rehab to get her doggie life balanced again. The cost for the program is about $7K. Whether its $1 or $1000 they will greatly appreciate anything that anyone out there can contribute.
Riley is a loved dog that is wanted but she needs to be rehabilitated to make peace in the household again. Thank you for reading this family's story. Please pass it on.
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