Nitro Says: Adopt, Don't Shop

We adopted Nitro on February 10, 2017 from the FXBG SPCA. We’d been volunteering, taking dogs out for Adventure Tails. Adventure Tails is a program they created that allows people to take a dog out for the day. It lets the dogs get away from the shelter and be seen by potential adopters in a natural environment. I asked the staff who needed to go for a hike and they said, “Nitro”. He’d been there for a while and was very depressed. I remember thinking that he looked like a gargoyle or bat because his ears were cropped so much.

 

We popped him in the back of the truck and headed for the woods. Nitro was so different. When he jumped out of the truck, instead of rushing for the woods, he waited for us to get our packs together. He was very polite and had such a good sense of awareness.

 During our 4 mile hike in the woods, we bonded. HE had adopted us.

On the way back to the shelter Luke and I both felt it... this was our dog… we knew it. However, this wasn’t just our decision to make. Our senior husky named Calvin needed to meet Nitro. So we took him back to the shelter. I’ll never forget the look in Nitro’s eyes when I put him back in his doggie condo. It was a look that said, “I thought today was a great day, what did I do wrong?” We talked to the staff about fostering and setting up a meet & greet with Calvin. The meeting was a success and Nitro came home with us a couple days later. 

We fostered Nitro for 3 days and then made the decided to adopt him. Was it perfect from the start? Nope. We had to work through some dog jealousy issues. With the guidance of the knowledgeable staff at the SPCA, we implemented leash training in the house and reward training as well. It took effort, consistency, patience, and dedication.

Nitro had been through a lot. Many people had let him down. You could tell he was waiting for us to let him down. Waiting to be taken back to the shelter. He wanted to please us so bad, but at the same time was scared of losing us. I don’t know exactly when it happened, but one day you could feel his anxiety leave… he finally exhaled and relaxed. Nitro knew we were his family and that his home with us was permanent. 

I think what’s important to remember is that adopting a dog isn’t always rainbows and butterflies at first. There is this transition period that must happen. You need to get used to the dog and the dog needs to get used to you. They’re in a new environment with a new schedule, which can be overwhelming. Nurture that transition period. Don’t just expect your new dog to know what to do, have patience and train him. When in doubt, ask for help. The FXBG SPCA is happy to give you advice and training tips. 

Nitro wants to remind everyone that...

Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.

Please adopt, don't shop. 

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