Urgent Shelter Dog Is Rescued & Reborn Thanks To His Foster Mom

Nicole Pitts was already a seasoned foster mom when she met Eric the dog through LifeLine Animal Project’s Fulton County Animal Services shelter. Eric had been in the shelter for 3 months and was not adjusting well. He was nervous and shy, easily overlooked by adopters, and bullied by the other dogs in his pen. Eric was given his own kennel, but with more than 300 pets in a shelter designed to hold 100, his time was quickly growing short.

 

The Fulton County shelter takes in up to 40 stray and unwanted pets each day. To conserve space, they usually house dogs 3 to 4 per kennel. With Eric in a single cage, 3 other dogs were displaced and put at risk. The hard decision was made to place him on the Urgent List.

That’s when Pitts stepped in. She agreed to foster Eric despite his timid demeanor, trouble with other dogs, and the fact that he was heartworm positive. When he first came to live with her in May of last year, he would allow Pitts to pet him, but he was extremely nervous, and unable to return her affections.

 

Pitts nursed Eric through the long, painful process of eliminating his heartworms. The intense treatment requires dogs to stay calm and quiet – something that would have been impossible at the busy, stressful shelter. She also worked with him on socialization to help prepare him for adoption.

 

The first time Pitts attempted to play with Eric, he cowered in fear when she threw a ball. It was clear he would need quite a bit of love and reassurance before moving on to a forever home. But after just a few weeks in the safe, consistent environment of Pitts’ home, Eric began to come out of his shell.

He became his foster mom’s shadow, and learned to coexist with her other dog. Watching the confidence of Pitts’ pup showed Eric that it was alright to be himself. He learned to play and quickly became potty trained. Next it was time for Eric to expand his social circle. Pitts set up play dates with other dogs and invited friends over to test his reaction to strangers.

 

Although Eric’s transformation is nothing short of miraculous, he still suffers from a bit of separation anxiety, and cannot be trusted around small children. Pitts knew that placing him into the perfect adoptive home would be a challenge, but earlier this month, just over a year after he arrived at FCAS, that’s exactly what happened!

 

Eric’s new mom is a retired senior with no other pets. She understands that Eric has some special needs, and is ready and willing to continue his training. After all he’s been through, he will have the undivided love and attention of a human soulmate – just what every dog deserves.

 

For those concerned that Eric will miss the foster mom who loved him and helped him grow, Pitts says never fear. The fact that Eric has moved on to a new home means that she now has room to foster yet another dog in need.

“Fostering a shelter pet really does save two lives: the one you take home, and the one who takes its place in the shelter,” Pitts told iHeartDogs. “Now that Eric is comfortable in a ‘furever’ home, I’m able to save another life through fostering.”

 

That’s not to say that she won’t miss him.

“I will always remember and love Eric, but knowing he has such a wonderful home makes it easier to let go.”

 

Pitts has heard all the different reasons people give for fearing to get involved with foster. To those who have the heart to open their homes, but are concerned they can’t devote enough time, she says:

“Your home could mean life or death for that pet. I always tell people that while your situation may not be as ideal as others, spending 8 hours alone inside a home while you are at work is still much better than spending 24 hours in a crowded shelter.”

Featured Image via Facebook/Adopt Eric