This week, I’d like to introduce you to a pittie who’s very dear to my heart. Ella has spent a total of twenty-six months at Rescue Ranch. In fact, I’m writing this two years after her return following a brief adoption. Ella’s health is suffering from the longterm stress and anxiety of kennel life. We desperately need your help to find a foster home for this very special dog.
Ella’s story
When I first saw Ella, she was gazing at me with beseeching eyes from a crate in the back of a pickup. She had a terrible bowel obstruction, and her caretakers couldn’t afford a vet. Thankfully, they were willing to surrender her to the Ranch. Kitu’s Fund covered Ella’s vet visit, where she was put back together without surgery and prescribed antibiotics and a soft diet. I took her home to foster during recovery.
I soon learned that Ella is very determined! She repeatedly scaled the barrier separating her from my household pets. Crate training didn’t go well either. Unable to keep her separate, I reluctantly brought her back to the Adoption Center, where she managed to ingest part of a toy. Her second emergency vet visit required surgery. She made a full recovery, and we were all thrilled when she was adopted a few weeks later.
But it wasn’t to be. Ella returned once again in the autumn. It was clear by this time that Ella has mental differences, and her adopter didn’t feel qualified to continue her training.
Ups and downs of longterm shelter life
In some ways, Ella’s residence at the Ranch has helped her. She’s still wary of strangers, but her social circle has gradually expanded. She’s even shared a play yard with carefully selected canine playmates. Ella triggers easily, but will accept calm dogs who respect her boundaries.
When I visited recently for photographs, I was impressed at how readily Ella walked out to the play yard with staff member Thea Rasmussen. She bounded off to explore but came loping back when we called. As always, she was constantly in motion except when she collapsed for belly rubs.
That constant activity is apparently the reason why Ella is so terribly thin. She’s a delicate eater anyway and this year her weight dropped alarmingly. Exams, bloodwork, and an ultrasound all came back clear. Adding ground kibble to her soft diet seems to be helping but she’s still sadly underweight.
Can you provide a foster home for an extra-special pittie?
Ella desperately needs a longterm foster home with a patient, understanding human who will accept her as she is. She’ll need a separate space away from other animals, and any dog-to-dog interactions must be supervised. Ella has lived indoors, but she’ll need a securely fenced yard for outside playtime.
With all her quirks, Ella is incredibly endearing. Earning her trust is so worth every effort. I’m always amazed that she’s never forgotten me, even after all this time, and still greets me with the same enthusiasm whenever I visit. What a heart! Let’s find a niche for this extra-special, lovable girl.
Read about our foster program and fill out an application here.
