Tia's Story: How it began

I don't know who first penned those words, but I understand their meaning.  The call comes in and you spring into action. It doesn't matter if you are busy, it doesn't matter if you have houseguests, it doesn’t matter if you were hoping for a break. You do what you have to do and you do it for the dog. There is no glory in rescue, there is no financial reward. Rescue is done when it needs to be done and often at your own expense. 

On July 5^th, I learned of a 15-month old Saint who was scheduled to be turned into the shelter on July 28^th. Rescue volunteers sing a song in July and August…'tis the season for rescue…fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la. All the dogs come in intact, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la. Add heartworm treatment onto that…fa-la-la-la-la-la-la.'. I think you get the picture. 

I had already committed to picking up a Newfoundland that had been abandoned in a boarding facility on the 11^th. All our available foster homes were full, others were on holidays, my own emergency foster space was reserved for the Newfoundland (she needed to be vetted so could not be put into a foster home without making sure she was healthy), I didn’t have any ideas of where the Newfoundland would go after she had been vetted, but I would  figure that out later. I had almost 3 weeks to work on the Saint, a luxury we don't often have. But where, oh where, was I going to put a her? 

Tia-Marie's story isn't a particularly sad one. I've heard sadder stories, but it isn't a particularly happy tale, either. She was purchased as a puppy from a backyard breeder. She is not registered nor was she spayed. She was allowed to roam free on 26 acres of property for the first year. Her owners kept her baby tooth, took lots of pictures of her, trained her. They did not, however, let her be a housedog. When the new baby arrived, they moved into the city and started tying Tia-Marie on a cable. She was too clumsy to be introduced to the baby. 

On July 13^th, I arranged an appointment to meet Tia-Marie that evening. Arriving at her home, I heard my heart break as I looked over the fence and saw her. She was tied to the fence on a 10 ft. cable. No shade, no dog house, no toys. A bucket of water and a spaghetti pot full of dog food. It was 32 degrees C. The humidex registered much higher. She'd been in the hot sun all day. It was now 5:00 p.m. 
 

This is a photo taken of Tia-Marie when we first met her on July 13th.

I spent a little over an hour with Tia-Marie. I took her for her first walk in over a month. She walked beautifully on a lead and accepted treats from me. She did, however, do her big WOOF in my face. This startled me and was one of the things we'd work on while she was in foster care. Nevertheless, her temperament was suitable for placement and my goal was to get her into foster care as soon as possible. For those of us who assess dogs, our goal is to remain detached. Nonetheless, I cried as I drove back to the city. I hated leaving her there, even if it was only for a little while. She deserved more than this. She didn't deserve to be tied in the hot sun day after day, without toys, without shade. I've known many dogs, but I've yet to meet one that prefers to be outside away from its people. 

A couple days later, I was telling one of my fosters about Tia-Marie (this foster had commitments in August and wasn't able to take Tia-Marie on the 28^th). We started talking about other dates…could she, would she hold Tia until July 31^st if New England Saint Bernard Club, Inc., could take her then? Her answer was yes. The New England Saint Bernard Club, Inc. had a potential home for Tia-Marie. We started a flurry of correspondence and made arrangements to go get Tia on July 18^th. 

Sunday, July 18^th. Like every other day, today is a scorcher. We drive to get Tia-Marie in the morning. I was pleased to see that the owners had kept her in the air-conditioned basement during the day, taking her outside in the evenings and mornings to do her business. At least she was out of the hot sun and no longer tied. The owner was surprised that she actually seemed to prefer being inside instead of outside. He never thought a Saint Bernard would like being inside. Tying a dog, especially one that has guard instincts, can lead to barrier frustration that can then lead to territorialism and other forms of aggression. This girl was young enough and had only been tied for about a month that I was hopeful she would be okay once we removed her from that environment. 

Bringing Tia-Marie home, we noticed several signs of stress: excessive drooling, pacing, searching for an escape route (she was crated and kept turning around in her crate, eyes glued to the window). Once we arrived at the foster's home (about 1 hour later), she was disinterested in us. We took her into the foster's backyard, on a long lead, and let her check things out. She paced along the fenceline, looking up along the top to see if that could be her escape route. We ignored her and sat at the picnic table eating a snack. She climbed up on top of the table and continued to try and see over the fence. After about an hour, we decided it was time to bring her inside and put her in her crate. 

She did not want to go in the house and tried to escape through the cedar hedge that lines to driveway. She planted her feet at the doorway and had to be coaxed in. Crating her was not an easy task but we have found that it is easier to crate train dogs that don't have an emotional bond to you. We covered the crate with a sheet and turned off the lights, giving her 4-5 hours of quiet time before she would see her foster again. 

Foster's journal of Tia-Marie's progress.