SHADOW is a miracle dog. 
His story is both informative and heart-wrenching.


SHADOW’S STORY
Only about a year old, Shadow belonged to a man with a drinking problem who kept him chained outside much of the time.  Neighbors reported to authorities that the owner beat Shadow with logging chains.  County authorities only learned about this when they were called in on a bite call and confiscated Shadow for quarantine.  A young teenage neighbor apparently put her face in Shadow’s face, and he reached up and caught her at the top and bottom of her ear, requiring stitches.  It appears that Shadow’s reaction was a direct result of the abuse:  the owner most likely grabbed shadow by the head and neck to beat him.

Interesting Fact:  It was the parents of bite victim who reported that the owner was beating Shadow with logging chains.  They clearly knew the dog was being badly abused and noted that Shadow never showed any aggression to the owner, even while being beaten.

The County placed Shadow on rabies hold due to the bite and was not going to return him to the owner due to the cruelty. 

That left the county with a dilemma:  what to do with a dog who now officially had a bite history?  They didn’t feel they could adopt him out and sentenced him to death.

Just a few days before Shadow was to be killed, emails about his plight went out nationwide.   There was a flurry of phone calls, emails and petitions.  Thousands of people across the country felt this was the wrong solution, and understood the County was in a difficult position.

After much discussion with the County Commissioners and Administrator, the County Commissioners thankfully agreed to release Shadow to MoGS.   MoGS has dealt with a number of bite cases and our experience indicates that the majority of bites occur because of human misconduct (accidental or intentional).  MoGS always carefully assesses the circumstances to determine exactly what happened.  Our assessment in this case was that Shadow was the victim of cruelty and simply needed a safe, secure environment where he knew he would not be mistreated.

WHO SHADOW REALLY IS
Once in MoGS care, Shadow instantly showed everyone what a truly wonderful dog he is.
Within two days of being out of the shelter, the vet pronounced “He’s a keeper…”
Neighbors of the foster tried to adopt him because he was so sweet …
He charmed everyone he met …
He made instant friends with other dogs, including a grouchy dominant old male …
In 5 weeks he went to an adoption event and was the star of the show, kissing everyone …

HIS SENSITIVITY & REHAB
His single sensitivity was being grabbed by the head/neck.  He instantly reacted by trying to protect that area, turning his head and grabbing the hand.  But within a week of arriving at MoGS he had stopped most of that as well.   His “rehab” consisted of frequent gentle rubbing and touching in his neck and head area, to accustom him to harmless touch.  The purpose was to change his expectation from "being grabbed there means a beating" to "being grabbed there means I'm being loved on or played with."  For safety’s sake this rehab will continue for some months although his reaction is now neglible.

AN INSPIRATION
Shadow immediately made friends with the other dogs in his foster home, including a dominant older German Shepherd male and a small, obnoxious Shih Tzu.  When Shadow went to the vet to be neutered, all 3 of the other dogs laid by his kennel all day looking mournful and waiting for him to come home.  When he returned groggy from surgery, they laid in a precise row in front of his kennel while he recovered.  They were protecting their new brother and letting him know, “We’re here for you, dude!”   What remarkable loyalty he inspired from dogs he had just met two weeks earlier!  

SHADOW’s PUBLIC DEBUT
Five weeks after he was released to us, Shadow went to his first public adoption event.  It was teeming with people coming and going, including many children. Shadow was a perfect ambassador – perky, charming, confident, comfortable.   All we did was ask people to please not grab him around the head/neck.  He accepted dozens of gentle head pats and neckrubs during his 6 hours at the event.

SHADOW’S HAPPY ENDING
One week after the event, Shadow was adopted by a wonderful couple who have a shy, nervous dog (herself abused as a small puppy).  Within seconds of their first meeting, Shadow became the shy dog’s mentor and guide!  Her owners were dumbfounded and couldn’t stop saying “I don’t believe it .. this is the FIRST time she’s ever done this!”  He was adopted over Labor Day Weekend and within an hour his new guardians texted MoGS that Shadow and his new sister were already bonded at the hip and playing nonstop.  They’ve barely stopped for breath since.

Shadow is a huge blessing to this couple and their shy dog. 
And they are a huge blessing to him:  a life of love and security forever.

SHADOW’s JOURNEY
Within 6 weeks of being sentenced to death, Shadow was adopted into the perfect home.
His entire journey -- from bite to death sentence to release to rehab to adoption -- took just over 6 weeks. 

Just as we find in many bite and cases, Shadow responded quickly to love and kindness along with a healthy dose of good sense.  He is not a “bite dog” (one that bites repeatedly and does so with the intent to harm).  He is simply a good dog who was placed in a bad situation by a human. Unfortunately it is usually the dog who pays the ultimate price with their life.  Shadow was set up for failure. 

Ultimately Shadow didn’t really need “rehab” per se.  He just needed love, kindness, security – and patience as he learns not to react to head/neck grabs.

SHADOW’S LESSON TO US ALL ...
To forgive.
To love.
To be open.
To listen to those with experience.
To look for alternatives and refuse to do the easy thing.

We can learn so very much from Shadow and other dogs like him, if we only will.

OUR THANKS & SHADOW’S GRATITUDE
... to the “village” of people who helped make this happen.  We extend our sincere thanks to every single one of the hundreds of people who reached out to save Shadow:   the rescue community, HSUS State Directors, transporters, fosters, the vet, MoGS, other rescue groups and donors.  Special thanks go to Morgan County (WV) Commissioners and Administrator.  Without their willingness to reconsider their decision, this would not have happened and Shadow would have lost his life before it had even begun.  The County was in a difficult position and officials are not experts in dog behavior.  Yet they were willing to listen, rethink their position and accept expert input.   We are grateful for the ability of all parties to work together on a cooperative basis.  We hope that this sets a positive precedent for working together in the future to save pets in trouble.

Shadow is alive -- and now living an incredible life -- because of all of you!!
“It takes a village” is more than just a nice saying. 
It saves lives.

DEDICATION
This is dedicated to all the other Shadow’s out there who end up on death row due to the careless or ignorant behavior of humans who set them up to fail.   

MAY EACH ONE GET THEIR OWN MIRACLE.

MAY WE ALL BE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER,
DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCES, TO SAVE THE NEXT SHADOW.

DOGS:   yes.  Submitted within a day to an older dominant male in the house.  Loved his little Shih Tzu foster sister.    
CATS:    unknown, would have to be tested 
KIDS:     NO.  Due to Shadow’s history, we will not adopt Shadow to a home with children
IDEAL HOME:   an active, loving adults-only home that will take the time to finish his “rehab” – i.e., continue showing him that reaching for his head and neck area is not something he needs to be afraid of

If you're looking for a dog with an incredible personality --
forgiving, loving, charming, sweet, playful --
SHADOW is your boy!

SHADOW's ADOPTION FEE: $250
This fee covers only part what we spend on vet and boarding costs for the dogs we save.  At minimum it includes the dog's spay/neuter, heartworm test, heartworm treatment if needed, rabies shot, distemper/parvo shot, bordatella shot, deworming, monthly heartworm and flea preventives, and microchip.  In many cases it also includes surgery and various types of vet treatment for standard issues such as hot spots, ear infections and so on.

INTERESTED IN ADOPTING SHADOW?
Complete an Adoption Application Now!