Hi, my name is Teddy! My rescue story was recently featured on Outside Online, and my progress has shaped the lives of many humans and dogs!
I am a 105-pound Anatolian Shepherd, and I was first found in a cold junkyard. I was very skinny, smelly, and unhealthy, but my new family overlooked all of that. They believed I could have an amazing life, so they brought me home with them!
I was very scared when I first arrived at my new home. I didn’t know how to interact with my two new siblings, and I didn’t even want to eat at first. But the scariest part for me was affection.
I wanted to be affectionate with my new family, but I just didn’t know how. My siblings would always curl up on the couch with our parents, but whenever I’d get close to them, I’d get nervous and scurry to the other side of the room.
Over time, I overcame some of my other issues. I learned to play with my siblings, and I learned that the food I was being fed was delicious! But for whatever reason, I didn’t know how to be loved.
6 months after I’d been adopted, my parents finally got me to lay in bed with them for a full 15 minutes. It might not sound like a huge accomplishment, but I had never been close to humans for that long before, and it definitely felt good!
Eventually, I even learned to spend the whole night right by my parents’ side. It was a huge step for me, and they were both very proud of my progress.
Now, I am happy as can be with my forever family. I was a very cautious dog in the beginning, but my parents taught me what it’s like to finally feel loved. Cuddling might be an easy skill for most dogs, but for me, it took a while to learn how to be loved. But I am so glad that I finally figured it out, and I am so glad that I was adopted!
If you have a dog with a rescue story to share, please visit the contact page to encourage others to adopt!
Mabel the Rescue Dog 