My name is Shelby!

Adoption Fee: $400
Age: 2.5 years
Weight: 6 lbs.
Fostered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Email: bryorkiemom@yahoo.com

10/23/24 – Shelby isn’t making much progress coming out of her shell. Her previous life absolutely took a toll on her. The one saving grace is that she is 50% better than she was in the beginning and eats good and goes outside great now without being scared of the threshold of the door going out or in. She co-exists fine with the other dogs, but does not interact with them. She does watch them for cues on things that normal dogs are used to doing. She still has a ways to go, but we are just proud of her for being able to get where she is now.

2/5/24 - Shelby has completed heartworm treatment and has tested negative. She is a new woman ready to look at applications.

1/7/24 -Ok, I’ll just start off by letting you know that I realize that I am not the most adoptable pup in the world. I really have a fear of humans right now. Some have really worked me over in my lifetime and it’s just not that easy letting my guard down.

My sister, Molly, and I were locked in cages since we were puppies. We produced litter after litter to make money for greedy people. We had no contact with humans except to be treated badly which has resulted in our total fear. We also were never brought to the vet, or given heartworm prevention, which has resulted in both Molly and I being heartworm positive. We have started our treatment and received our second round on December 28th. We are doing well for now and not having any complications thank goodness.

We are used to our foster mom now, but still don’t like to be picked up by her or anyone. And if anyone new comes over, we will run and hide or freeze in one spot. Seems like it should be easy for us to forget our past when people are trying so hard to be nice and talk sweet to us, but it doesn’t work that way. I’m sure after a long-term relationship with VERY understanding and VERY patient parents, I’ll figure out that you aren’t wanting to hurt me and I’ll come around.

Now dogs are a different story. They seem to be my safe haven. So, if you want to adopt me, you must have another dog(s). I also would not hate it if you wanted to adopt Molly and I together, but we can go separately. It’s not that I play with the other dogs, but I need them for comfort, guidance and learning. Since Molly and I have been in our foster home, the other dogs have taught us that the threshold of the back door isn’t scary, so we follow the others in now instead of darting from corner to corner in the back yard. However, I sometimes resort back and want to stay outside and foster mom has to act like she is shutting the door on me to convince me to come in. They are also teaching us when it is breakfast and supper time. We all get excited at this time! Pee pads are another thing we’ve learned. We will also go outside, but still make mistakes. I haven’t graduated to sleeping in the human bed. Molly and I usually sleep together in a dog bed/or on a comforter on the floor in the bedroom where everyone else sleeps. I absolutely love toys and play with them alot. We had another foster in our home recently and she taught me to tear all the toys up, so now that is what I do. But I still love them.

I am more scared of things than Molly is. I'm not brave enough to want foster mom to pick me up and definitely don't go up for any pets. I will need a very secure back yard since walking on a harness and leash scare the dickens out of me. I am a knee-jerk reactor and if given the opportunity, would bolt away. In a way, both Molly and I have sweet, but feral personalities. We don’t like it and aren’t proud of it. Foster mom tells us that there are people out there that will still be interested in loving us and giving us all the time in the world to trust and love. We sure hope she is right, but for now, she and her other dogs are doing a really good job of helping us learn this outside world that seems so large and scary.

I know what you’re thinking, “Why adopt this dog, she’s hopeless”. Well, this is your chance to really “adopt” and “rescue” a poor lost soul that will in time come around and is literally the meaning of “a diamond in the rough”. I might not greet you at the door with tag wags and licks, I won’t cuddle up next to you on the sofa to watch a movie, and my eyes are usually very wide open like a deer in headlights, but I really deserve another chance at a life that was stolen from me at the hands of inhumane people.