Rescue. Rehabilitation. Rehome.
ONE DOG AT A TIME SUCCESSFULLY
I have worked with shelter dogs, with an emphasis on pitbulls, for 20 years now. I am not a person who writes but the literal miracle that Byron worked on a shelter dog named Star is a story people should know.
If you are reading this true story in hopes of finally finding a person who may be able to help you avoid giving up on your dog, if you’re considering surrender or euthanasia, keep reading.
Star is a pitbull who was found tied to a bench in a park, abandoned by her owner in May 2022. From the jump, she gravitated towards women and was slow to accept men. She was housebroken, no food aggression, a nice size and was really affectionate with women.
Like so many pits in shelters, we knew it would take time to place her, and for whatever reason, we just couldn’t seem to find that person.
Time took its toll on Star and she became increasingly reactive to men, to barriers, to other dogs yet with so many of the girls she was as gentle as a lamb.
Fall, winter and spring passed and poor Star was still in the shelter. I reached out for help to Brick City Rescue, a rescue group that focuses mostly on pits.
I met Veronica from Brick city and she came to meet Star and they hit it off immediately and Veronica said “I’d like her to meet a trainer we like, Byron”. Ok- Veronica and Byron came to the shelter many times to get to know Star, see the issues firsthand and form a connection.
The fact that star accepted Byron on the first visit sort of blew my mind, but I do believe dogs know and recognize dog people.
Anyway, we made the choice to invest in Star’s future and committed to a three week board and train program with Byron.
He took Star into his home and trained her alongside his own established dogs to help her decompress and desensitize her to the issues that were making her unadoptable.
We visited several times during her training at Byron’s and the changes we saw in Star were 180°. She was reestablishing trust, learning boundaries, getting the direction and guidance she needed from Byron to know how to act and when to act that way.
What really stayed with me is that Star and I had seen each other every day for a little over 11 months and she would look to me if she was unsure about something after just a few days with Byron, that sweet face was trained on Byron's every move and not mine. Sure, I felt a twinge, but she was getting the help she needed and he was speaking her language full-time ,one on one for 21 days! Call it Boot Camp, charm school, whatever-but after the board & train, Star left his home completely re-set!
Thanks to Brick City and their social media campaign, they found Star a new home with three other dogs and two loving wonderful owners who saw the potential all of us who had gotten close to Star knew she had.
There is no doubt in my mind without Byron’s expert intervention, Star would not have made it. Instead, now she is happy, stable and thriving. I never thought Star would have this kind of fairytale ending and BYRON is the magic that made it possible. It’s as simple as that.
Evelyn
Friends of the Shelter - Clifton
973.470.5936 ( voicemail only )
*By appointment only*
www.cliftonanimalshelter.com
