Foster Family Helps Stray Dog Overcome her Fears

Bonnie was scared and shut down after fending for herself on the streets of South Carolina. She urgently needed a quiet space to relax and feel safe.

One of our dedicated foster families came forward to help give Bonnie the care she needed. Her foster parents gave Bonnie lots of time and space to decompress, and she soon started to feel more comfortable in her temporary home. However, she remained extremely fearful of other dogs. Initially, even the sound of her foster dog brother’s collar jangling would upset Bonnie and cause her to bark furiously.

Thankfully, with patience and understanding Bonnie learned that not all dogs were scary and could actually be fun to be around! Soon Bonnie and her foster brother were the best of friends, playing tag in the apartment before curling up together to snooze on the couch.

Bonnie was still very afraid of stranger dogs though, so her foster family began behavior training to help her feel more comfortable around dogs. She took to training eagerly, and with positive reinforcement methods, quickly showed great improvement.

“Bonnie is literally the best dog! We love her so much and she’s getting so used to us and she’s very spoiled”

We knew that Bonnie had a sweet, goofy personality, and that she just needed the right loving home to fully understand her issues. Soon a couple came forward, eager to meet Bonnie, and they turned out to be the perfect fit! After lengthy adoption counseling, they decided to make her part of their family. Baypath committed to setting Bonnie and her new family up for success, and included reactive dog training classes through Life is Dog as part of her adoption process. Pre-adoption counselling and post-adoption support were vital to ensure a happy outcome for all.

Bonnie’s new parents are thrilled to have her as part of her family. She recently had her first family vacation to New Hampshire — the first of many! Her adoptive family keep in touch regularly, sending pictures of Bonnie living the dream. They recently shared, “Bonnie is literally the best dog! We love her so much and she’s getting so used to us and she’s very spoiled”.