There are many exciting things on the horizon for Bound Angels, and they all involve helping the dogs cast away by society in our shelters. It breaks my heart every time I walk through a shelter and see the faces of these former pets, now relegated to living the life of a cast-away being. They have basically given up or are just about to.
When I walk through the isles I see them, I feel their pain and often times I can give them another chance. That happened last week.
I met Forest a shut down yellow lab mix sitting in the corner of his cage at the Yavapai Humane Society. I was told by staff and volunteers of Forest’s nature and that he can be a bit dog reactive and hard (if not impossible) to get out of the kennel. Most shelters would probably have little choice but to put a dog like Forest down. YHS has taken the stand that a dog with behavioral challenges deserves the same chance as a dog with health issues – for this I applaud them. A doctor can figure out and cure most medical issues and a qualified behaviorist should be able to do the same with behavioral issues.
That is what we set out to do with Forest.. and we did. With a bit of work, Forest came out of his kennel and engaged with me and the on-staff trainer, Kim. He learned to engage to us through rewards and structure. He learned that he could be around other dogs and not have to lunge at them or react to them. He learned these life saving skills quickly and he made it.
Saturday while sitting at a movie back here in LA, I received a text from Kim that Forest was adopted. I guess I spent 20 minutes with Forest and then passed the baton over to Kim and the staff and volunteers at YHS. Apparently they did continue the training and because of that someone will be blessed with a great dog and Forest is blessed with life. Behavioral work takes time and it takes dedication. I’ve rehabilitated many dogs that others thought were impossible and each one ended up in a great home.
If you ever want to know what makes life worth living, it’s moments like these. Thank you to everyone who believes that dogs deserve a second chance and thanks to everyone for your continued support.
Robert Cabral
Bound Angels