Miami is a 3-4 year old German Shepherd who was found as a stray in Brampton. Staff at the shelter felt she was possibly from an auto body shop or a garage because of the industrial area where she was found. Shy and timid, yet gentle and kind, the staff felt it would be in her best interest to go to a rescue organization where she could be placed in a home environment and hopefully gain confidence and trust. They called Speaking of Dogs Rescue and Miami was picked up from the shelter after her stray time period had elapsed. The next day she was taken to the veterinarian for an overall exam, routine spay, microchip and heartworm test. Rescue volunteers were shocked when their veterinarian called to inform them that Miami’s heartworm test had come back positive. She was immediately put on an antibiotic and a form of heartworm preventative (to ensure that other dogs were not put at risk of being infected) and given instructions to keep her calm and quiet until treatment could be performed. Placed in foster care, Miami immediately bonded with her foster dad and became his constant companion. It took several weeks to acquire the heartworm medication but when it arrived, Miami went back into the veterinary clinic and was successfully treated and is now heartworm free.
About Miami
Still skittish and shy, Miami has come a long way with her foster family. She is completely housetrained, walks well on a leash (loves her walks) and although she is crate trained, she is not destructive when left alone uncrated. She is very well behaved but becomes anxious in various social settings. Miami will need a home with understanding and love. Her trust needs to be earned and it does come to those who give her time and patience. As mentioned above, she has bonded with her foster dad and will wag her tail and give squeals of delight each day when he returns home from work – foster mom is still waiting for similar reaction but so far, Miami only has eyes (and wags) for dad. With strangers she is still extremely frightened and will go upstairs to her safety zone which is in the bedroom. She enjoys being massaged, loves to be outside, very seldom barks and is a loyal companion. She gets along well with other dogs and is currently sharing life with a miniature poodle mix who she is very respectful of. He tries repeatedly to try and engage her in play, but she hasn’t quite caught on to the concept of silliness – it is just a matter of time though.
Her ideal home would be with people that are understanding; people who will not push her into situations that cause her to be fearful or feel vulnerable. She needs to have her confidence building done in positive small steps, not forced or flooded. An individual or couple without small children is recommended (because the noise and activity level would frighten her, not because she would be a danger) and another dog in the home who is well adjusted who she could observe and learn from would be very helpful for her. Miami has a heart of gold, a soft and gentle spirit and now just needs to find someone to share them with.
