After 16 months, Jersey has found her home
It’s difficult to understand the whys in rescue adoption. Some dogs enter our group and before they’re medically cleared we’re receiving adoption applications for them. Others get little interest. They could be available 6, 9, 12 months or more and nothing. Maybe they blend into the numerous feeds of rescue dogs needing homes. Pitbulls experience this more because Arizona is flooded with the breed. Because of this, most long-timers have to switch foster homes due to circumstances and needs changing. That is what happened to our Jersey girl.
In August 2021, Jersey came to M.A.I.N. grossly emaciated. She was weak, malnourished, shy, and frightened. Jersey’s weight gain was slow and steady. We watched this scared, skeleton of a girl blossom. She gained weight, she gained muscle and she gained confidence. She became social, she played, and she enjoyed being near her human.
As the months passed, we just didn’t get it. Why hasn’t someone adopted her? A year passed and still, nothing. Jersey moved to another foster home during the summer 2022. She’s done well there. Even more of her personality has come out and she is a funny, goofy, happy, lovable, beautiful girl.
Jersey quickly adjusted to her (third) foster home. She’s resilient, and little bothers her. She bonded with the foster mom and the foster mom with her. Recently, I was writing updates on the dogs and I asked foster mom, Claudia, for a little update on Jersey. Her response was simple, “I’m going to adopt Jersey. She is where she belongs.” After 16 months, Jersey is home. Happy tears all around.
All adoptions are special but this one has an extra bit of happy!
Our Jersey girl continues to search for her perfect family.
Jersey has come so far physically and mentally. She came in extremely emaciated due to owner neglect. That neglect caused her to be distrustful of humans. She has learned that not all humans are bad but can still be shy when meeting new people. She warms up once her trust is earned.
Jersey is incredibly sweet. She obviously is anxious and shy. She and her mom play, which she did not do at first, go for lots of walks and have met a few other dogs. Also, Jersey met Samantha (another foster mom in MAIN) today, her first guest. She was a bit nervous at first but warmed up to Sam’s charms.
Part of Jersey’s nervousness is that she’ll bark at others if they move rooms or make a noise out of her sight. The anxiety causes her to be apprehensive when meeting people, but she does warm up quickly. Her foster mom is working on Jersey’s uneasy feelings and helping her to gain some confidence through socializing and training.
What we’ve come to learn about our Jersey girl is that she’s a simple girl. She needs love, security, walks, treats, and a family who understands and cherishes her for the girl that she is. Only teenagers or older for Jersey. She is good with the house cat. She’s a nervous girl and needs reassurance. Jersey loves to play tug of war, snuggle with her buddies (even the cat), and be next to her human. She loves to be pet and to run around; she’s also quite the goofball. This girl isn’t a fan of the water or baths. We’re told that it’s possible to coax her in though.
Are you the right fit for Jersey? Do you know someone who is? Let’s work hard to help Jersey find the perfect family that she deserves.
Will you please share Jersey’s post?
Guess who is ready to adopt a family? Our Jersey girl!
Jersey is a 2-year-old American Pitbull Terrier. She’s happy to play with her humans and friends or to just hang out on the sofa or chill in the sun. When playing, Jersey can get over-excited around small dogs so dogs over 15 pounds are her best playmates. Jersey hasn’t been exposed to cats since she’s been in MAIN; however, we’ve determined that she would do best not to be around cats. Jersey is a sweet girl that tends to be a Velcro dog with her humans, which also means she can be possessive of her human. She needs a person that will be firm with her about that. Jersey has manners and knows basic commands. She does well on a leash; she’s house trained, and crate trained, and she gives a high five before she eats! She’s perfect, right? We agree.
Jersey is spayed, microchipped, licensed with Maricopa County, and up-to-date on vaccines.
If you’re interested in adoption or have questions about Jersey, please fill out our adoption application or email us at: medicalanimalsinneed@gmail.com.
Jersey update.
It sounds wrong to say that we’re happy that this girl’s issue is starvation but, when the only choices are starvation or cancer, we have to be grateful for this outcome. She’s gaining weight and socializing a bit more. We’re still dealing with those back legs but she’s getting stronger and she’s such a loving girl.
Here’s a recent post from Jersey’s foster mom: “I wanted everyone to see that Jersey is doing so much better! She is stronger now and more playful. She is a cling on of sorts! She loves all dogs and probably the little fast ones a bit too much! So nothing under 15lbs when playing now. Whoever owned her taught her some commands and she is house broken. A real sweetheart. Still dealing with the hind leg at the end of the day but it is definitely not as troublesome for her as in the beginning! She is a wonderful dog!”
She still has a tough road ahead but this girl can obviously handle anything.
Original post for Jersey:
Meet Jersey!! Jersey is a 2 year old Am Pit Bull Terrier mix who found herself down on her luck, ending up in a shelter as a stray….a scenario that plays out – day in and day out – all over our state.
At rescue, she was just 38 lbs, Jersey was seriously underweight! She’s gained some weight but has a lot to go.
MEDICAL: This girl is severely malnourished with a BCS of 1/9. She will need a further workup to see if her body condition is due to lack of food or another underlying disease.
We’ve introduced food slowly to help prevent re-feeding syndrome and will increase food as she tolerates it.
Additionally, she has grade 2/4 medial patella luxation in her left hind leg and cruciate disease in her right hind leg that may need surgical correction.
Although she’s somewhat shy at first glance, she will allow all handling and is a very sweet girl. She has seen our vet already for an exam and bloodwork, so now we wait for the results and pray it’s not something nefarious like cancer.
If you’re able to help with Jersey’s medical bills we would greatly appreciate it. Every single dollar you donate goes to the dogs.
Our PayPal address is medicalanimalsinneed@gmail.com. You can also mail a check payable to MAIN to: PO Box 758 El Mirage, AZ 85335. You can also call donations of $25 or more directly into our vet, Bethany Animal Hospital, at 602-242-1657. Let them know you’re supporting Jersey with MAIN.
Please note that all donations are tax deductible. If you require a tax receipt, please message us your email address after you have made your donation. For those that only require MAIN’s Tax ID number, it is 45-5178809. As always, any help is truly appreciated. Thank you all for being part of our MAIN Family.
