This is Bo today :)
How precious is this boy?! He wants me to walk him yet again (puts on the charm and then goes to the gate- I guess he can finally get me into shape!)
Without going into the whole thing....Bo is back (with us temporarily). A change in personal circumstances prevented Bo from going to his foster in WI, so Kevin and I decided it would be best if he came back to us, rather then spend another night in doggy prison.
Still learning to play, but picking up on it quickly!
A smile for YOU!
Here are some pictures of Bo's 1 day journey to Bloomington, IL and back. We are so grateful to my sister, Kelly, and our good friend, Linda J., who took the time out of their busy lives to help Bo (even though you had to turn around and come back)!
Bo is not crazy about crates...took 2 of them to get him in at the shelter (lol).
Bo meets a new friend...my sis Kelly!
A new toy for you Bo!
I am trying to convince Bo that it will all be alright
Potty break and then off again!
Not crazy about pictures either- look at his face...he's mad at me already-lol!
The good news...
BO is a LOVE! He is definitely a work in progress, but is learning everyday to trust people. He still is weary of strangers (especially men), BUT, he is learning that everything is ok and that these "strangers" come bearing gifts/treats/etc. Bo did not have the greatest upbringing. Bo came into the Osceola Animal Shelter http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/AR73.html when he was approximately 4 months old. These were taken on 2/17/11:
You can see how we fell in love with this precious boy!
Seriously...how precious can one puppy be?
So innocent...he didn't deserve to end up in a shelter (none of them do)
Bo is one of those long term shelter pups...if they are lucky anyway and not euthanized for space...(which is a rarity sadly). Bo spent much of his life in the shelter environment (from 4 months of age until around 10-11 months of age). His previous owner left him and his mom to fend for themselves in their pen for several weeks with little food/water. Thankfully someone called and the ladies at Osceola Animal Shelter picked them up. Bo was very underweight when he first came (his mom would not let him eat...survival mode at that point). He made up for it quickly though! Bo's mommy was adopted fairly quickly because she was a yellow lab mix. Kevin and I went back to take pictures of the newbies at the shelter in May, and Bo was still sitting there....broke our hearts. These pictures were taken on 5/15/11.
Bo full of promise still...
Such sadness it seems...
Learning to trust people...men are especially hard (his last owner was a man)
And then came Bo's lucky break...so we thought. A rescue agreed to take him FINALLY! In the end of June, Bo left the shelter! Long story short...he was not ready for life outside the shelter. The ordeal of leaving the only home that he has known for the past 4-5 months and then getting passed around essentially (3 different "homes" within a week if you include the rescue, foster, and then adopter). Bo just couldn't handle everything, so his fear aggression prevailed. He would growl, bare his teeth, and even lunge toward people he didn't know. He was acting out of fear (we would find out later that much, if not all, of that is just "talk"). The rescue did not have any open foster homes able or willing to work with him, so he was sent back to the shelter.
Talk about a tearjerker...this boy waited forever to find a home and then back to the shelter he goes. That is the sadest part of this whole thing. This area just does not have any foster homes available due to the influx of homeless dogs in this area. What Bo desperately needed was to spend some time in a quality, dog savvy foster home, so that he could learn some basic skills before heading north. We failed Bo in that regard. Here are some pictures taken on 7/07/11, a few days after Bo returned to the shelter:
This one is so sad to me...you can see it in his eyes here :(
Waiting for a home still
A profile view of B0 with Casey
At this point, Bo had become a bit too much for the ladies to handle with all the doggies they take care of. Not having much exercise, Bo became understandably restless and would often jump on the ladies and behave like an unruly pup. One of the ladies already has a bad back, so they just couldn't take the chance of any of the employees getting hurt accidently. He did not exhibit any fear aggression there because it was his "safe spot". That is when we began to share a "Facebook Note" begging for help for Bo as this was his last chance and we knew it. That particularly trip to Wisconsin did not work out, however we have faith that Bo will find the home he deserves. We ask that you please keep Bo in your thoughts (and prayers if you pray) and share his story so that hopefully we can find him the best possible home!
Bo would do best in a home without small children as they are too unpredictable. Plus, he is definitely still a "jumper" when he gets excited. He needs dog savvy owners who are willing to put forth the effort to train Bo properly as well as provide the daily exercise he needs. Bo is a smart boy who has already learned how to sit in just minutes of working with him. He is longing for affection as well as direction. We will keep everyone posted on his progress and hope to take video of him soon!
