When Veronica Shea was hiking with her dog on her usual trail in California’s Angeles National Forest, she spotted something unusual.
When she rounded a bend, she saw what she described as a “huge black thing”going up the side of the cliff.
Realizing it was a dog, she decided to follow him, and she was really happy she did.
Lost pack
The dog took her to two other extremely malnourished dogs. and all alone in the desert. Believing they were abandoned, Veronica knew she had to help the pack.
For the next few weeks, Veronica climbed the mountain to feed the dogs and try to gain their trust.
“You could see how malnourished they were. You could really see their ribs. We could count their vertebrae. said Véronique.
And they did it! The pack began to get used to his presence and even began eating from his hand..
Although it was a great achievement, Veronica still had to come up with a plan to get them off the mountain..
She planned to trap them one by one, but she was afraid that if she did that, the others might flee.
She needed help.
Rescue mission
As soon as Veronica asked for a helping hand, a whole team of rescuers came forward.
We came up with a plan. We need to build a crazy contraption that can be near and far.
Together, they carried the necessary equipment up the mountain and created a makeshift cage big enough to accommodate them all.
They carefully lured them inside and he carried the dogs down the mountain.
The Mastiffs, now named Princess George, Grace and Steve, were finally safe. However, they still had a long journey ahead of them.
Training camp
Their rescuers contacted a well-known dog behaviorist and trainer in California, Cheri Wulff Lucas, to try to teach nervous dogs to trust again.
“They were not adoptable as they arrived. We couldn’t touch them. They couldn’t be kept on a leash. They were just terrified. » said Cheri.
Even if they responded well to the trainingthe pack still showed a very strong startle reflex which made it difficult to find a permanent home.
They needed a very special home to go there, because they are not the type of dogs that go to the dog park. Even walking them through the city streets would be a lot for them. And if they’re scared, they weigh 125 pounds, so [they would be] very difficult to contain.
However, since Cheri lived in the middle of nowhere, with no traffic or even other houses aroundshe knew they were safe on her property.
Even though she hadn’t really planned on keeping the puppiesThis is what ended up happening.
Not only did the pack live in a safe and healthy environment, they were also able to help Cheri in her work as a trainer.
If I have dogs that need socialization – to be more familiar and less reactive with other dogs – I use my pack to help rehabilitate them. And all three are very sociable with dogs. They know how to smell correctly, how not to overpower the dog that needs socialization. They are just impeccable. And it’s not something I taught them: they came that way.
Loyal assistants
The pack came in very handy when Cheri started working with a puppy named Andi.
Since Andi lived in an enclosure for seven years without human contact, she was quite terrified and upset.
When Princess George, Grace and Steve noticed that Andi was stressed, they reassured her and put her at ease like never before.
It was really sweet to see. They brought it to me in a way that I never could have done as a human.
Seeing the dynamic Andi had with the pack, Cheri decided to adopt her too, making her the 12thth dog of his pack.
Years have passed and Princess George, Grace and Steve seem unrecognizable.
Even though all three differ in how they like to spend time, George and Steve, who love to run and socialize, and Grace, who is still a little shy.always remain inseparable.
If you came to my house and didn’t know their history, you would think they were just like any other dog. They’re pets – they really are pets now. These are no longer cases for me.
