One of the two severely neglected young dogs discovered in a remote part of the Tilbury industrial area has already found a new home.
In March, a couple out for a walk noticed a pair of pit bulls tied to a tree near the end of a trail. The couple reported the dogs to the Delta Community Animal Shelter after seeing the animals still there the following day.
Nobody came forward to claim the animals, which were both severely emaciated. In addition to being underweight, both dogs were suffering from medical problems as a result of neglect.
Staff at the 80th Street shelter named the non-neutered males Beach and Fisher. Both dogs were estimated to be three to four years old.
The two had to be quarantined while their medical needs were dealt with but both are now doing fine, said shelter manager Sarah Lowe, noting community donations helped pay for the treatment.
In fact, Beach has already been adopted by a Tsawwassen family that enjoys taking him to the dog park, said Lowe.
"He's an indoor dog getting used to things like the dishwasher. He's integrated really quite well," she said.
Fisher, however, is still at the shelter waiting for adoption, said Lowe, adding the dog is not aggressive but requires time to adjust from a neglected past.
"Fisher is more of a dominant dog, while Beach was more submissive and was easier to get into a home with other animals. Fisher requires a very experienced home who have the time to help him rehabilitate," Lowe said.
"A home with a cat is probably OK, but no other dogs. Eventually with the right home and right owner, and someone who's willing to invest a little bit in his training, he can probably develop some specific doggy friends but he's not going to be a dog park dog."
Lowe said Fisher has been undersocialized and seems worried about strangers as well the outside world, which is why staff members are working on having him meet new people and have positive experiences.
"With us he's great. He likes to prance like a deer or proud horse, a lovely boy. But he's just very wary of the world. If you lift your hand too quickly, he thinks you're going to try to hit him. He's also petrified of sticks, so we think he's been hit by sticks."
Fisher, though, is keen to seek affection.
All dogs, cats and rabbits available at the shelter are spayed or neutered and provided with permanent identification prior to going to their new homes. In addition, all animals are vaccinated and flea and worm treated while in the shelter's care. The costs of these procedures are included in the adoption fee.
For more information about Fisher or the shelter, visit www.deltacommunityanimalshelter.ca.
