Marigold
My boyfriend and I started fostering Marigold a little over 2 months ago before deciding to adopt her a few weeks later. The first day I met her at Ashley’s house, I could tell she was friendly but very nervous. It was pretty apparent she had been neglected and abused in the past by her previous owners. We have another dog and we were unsure if Luna would welcome another dog since it had been a while since she was socialized. Marigold was very passive upon meeting Luna, and we decided to take it slow and keep them separated initially. Margiold had a little bit of a rough transition. She was very nervous and unsure of her surroundings.
Marigold was a loving dog from the start and tried to jump right next to me in the bed and kept trying to get closer to me. I had to end up crating her the first night because she couldn’t stay still due to nerves. She was so anxious she didn’t want to come out of the crate in the very beginning. Marigold would not go to the bathroom on the leash for several days. She was so nervous it was like she was afraid to go to the bathroom in front of anyone. She would sometimes only go to the bathroom once in the morning for the entire day, and I was starting to get concerned. I kept her on the leash in the yard in the beginning.
Maybe a week after taking Marigold in, we let her run in the yard with Luna. They became friends right away. Marigold started becoming more playful and confident after gaining a friend/sister. Luna is a very energetic and strong dog and played a little rough, but Marigold soon started keeping up and Luna learned to tone it down a bit.
The biggest challenge was dealing with Marigold’s separation anxiety when we would leave. Marigold would chew anything in or near her crate, and she even escaped her crate a few times and destroyed 2 crates by bending the bars. We were shocked. She would also have accidents in her crate a lot of the time and we would have to give her baths often. We brought her to the vet and they perscribed her trazadone for her anxiety. We weren’t sure if the medication really helped because Marigold was still very skittish.
We took a risk and decided to start leaving Marigold out of her crate with Luna when we would leave the house for work. The couch had become Marigold’s favorite spot in the house, so we decided to start with a short time away. We had a few times where Marigold chewed the couch and had a few accidents inside. We found a better dose for her medication and it seemed to keep her comfortable. We started leaving the dogs for a little longer and Marigold eventually started adapting. She now doesn’t need her medication and can be left out of the crate with Luna on her couch. Marigold is still nervous at times but she has come so far in a short time.
We are so grateful to have Marigold in our lives. She is such a sweet dog and loves her family. She has become best friends with our other dog, Luna, and she is the sweetest with anyone she meets. It has been very rewarding to see how she has progressed from being so fearful and anxious to being so comfortable and trusting. We look forward to seeing her grow and let out even more of her silly personality. Taking on a rescue can come with its share of surprises, especially with an adult dog. But the reward of watching a dog who hasn’t had a stable home and has been left riddled with anxiety and fear from not having that security realize she is safe and finally home, is one of the most amazing things you could ever imagine. I encourage every foster or adopter to give the dog time to feel comfortable and secure in your home. A lot of these dogs have been through a lot of trauma and haven’t had patient owners who took their time and efforts to train them. We are very thankful for Ashley’s help in transitioning Marigold into our home and for being there for support in the transition. Marigold is grateful too!
Hero
In another comment I will give my timeline with Hero (or Mo to you people!). The very short version is I had to work for him to love me, and he had to work for me to love him. Love did not come for free for either of us. I referenced this chart MANY times and it was a giant help. The first month, I felt I made a mistake and though I never considered giving him up, I secretly wished I didn't take this on. But through the many hard times, I referenced this chart and knew time was on our side.
Tomorrow will be the 11-month anniversary w/Hero and I laugh about those thoughts now. I hit the sweet spot and he hit mine. There are people who I love who say, "You don't have to care for him like you do" and I don't get angry, I just feel sad they don't understand our bond. But it took a lot of time. Timeline below.
Dec 3 - Got Hero. Took 15 min to get him into car. Wouldn't eat. One of the worst days of my life. I felt he hated me.
Dec 5 - After 2 full days of him not showing me emotion I wake up to him sleeping by my bed. I was ecstatic.
Dec 6-9 - Took him to NYC/Philly for hockey tourney. He hated car ride and thought I was giving him away. Worst hour of our existence together. We won Championship but whole weekend a mess. I kept handing him off so I could drink and play hockey. Must have confused the heck out of him. Huge mistake in retrospect. Still glad I went bc we won, though!
Dec 5-30 - Battle on who was Alpha. He would walk me. He had severe anxiety issues (still sorta does). I cared for him deeply, but if Ashley wanted him back to live in her home, I prob would have said yes. (But only Ashley as I cared for him to much to give him to any other loving home)
Dec 31 - Took him to NYC/NYE party. He got into fight with other dogs. We were banished to guest room. Every time I left him w/friends to mingle in other room, he'd stare at me. I felt great but then he tried to run away when I was in other room and felt bad.
Feb 15 - Diff hockey championship party in NJ, and I remember leaving living room to go into bedroom and Hero following me. Remembered this chart and thinking, he loves me.
Feb 17 - Started diet. I got Hero in part to lose weight.
Feb 17-May 23 - (my bday) Lost a lot of weight and remember at my bday party thinking, I owe it all to this dog. I love him so much. He loves me. Our love was before May 23 but I just remember how happy I was that we found our "sweet spot."
Summer - Had fire in my condo. Had a hard time getting him to leave bc he didn't want to leave me battling fire. Everyone in condo talked to me how Hero kept wanting to go inside to be w/me.
Today - My dog walker is my girlfriend. We are bonded beyond belief. I have a friend and sister who judge me bc of how I do nothing without this dog. What they don't understand is why would I be without Hero when I can be with him? He's truly my best friend. The person I am is finally close to the person I want to be and when my life story is over, the "sweet spot" will be the years I spent with him. I'll never get another dog, it is too much work but I'll never again regret this decision like I did the first month-6 weeks. This chart was referenced in my head a million times and helped. Now I don't need it. (But I do think it was closer to 4-5 months for Hero to feel 100% safe/home)
Tracer
Tracer was rescued from PBACC with only hours to live because he was labeled "dog aggresive" Tracer was also labeled a door Dasher by other adopters making it hard for a person who doesn't have the patience for a dog who always wants to run everytime the door opens. He has proved to us that labels are for canned food only. Tracer found us on Facebook as we were looking for a dog for months and knew that our dog would find us, and he did. Since being rescued in October of 2018 Tracer has moved from Florida to the Adirondacks in NY then to PA. He is now great with other dogs and recently has lived with one,but we still have a problem with cats and squirrels. Through training and constant love we wouldn't want him anywhere else. I'm so glad you found us Tracer boy and thankyou Ashley Masur, Jenifer Mangin, and Sommer for helping us find eachother. Now we head back to the lake for the summer!
Demi
My name is Demi and I was rescued by Delilah’s when I was very much pregnant in the Miami shelter. I am a tough cookie but Delilah’s saw something in me and gave me a chance to let all that go. I met my mom when she volunteered to foster me for a lil while. I got adopted and that adoption fell through after a week. I was passed around for a little bit. But I eventually ended up at my mom’s again. This time after a few months of fostering me, my mom decided that she couldn’t let me go. So she adopted me! I now have a mom, grandparents and a brother name Domino. Domino is a cranky jealous old man but he loves me and I just adore him. As you can see in the picture below we get along pretty well. We are my moms world. I am the luckiest to have been saved by the wonderful people at Delilah’s I will forever be thankful to them for saving me and my puppies. I just wish that all dogs would have the same luck as me and get a chance to feel love like I feel every day now.
Lola
Lola formally know as Diamond became Our Fur-ever baby after meeting her at an Event. We already had 2 dogs. Her sweet eyes and soft nature sucked us right it. Lola is a sweet girl who loves children, She is very smart and extremely goofy. She has been the best addition to Our family and We have Delilah's to Thank for bringing us together.
Spirit
We had adopted from Delilah’s a year ago and had only been a one dog home. We were looking for a sibling for Mocha and I was hopeful Delilah’s would have the perfect match. I messaged them a little about Mocha and what I was looking for and they told me Spirit was her match. We drove down a few days later to meet Spirit. She is a loving cuddle bug with a sad start to life. Mocha loves her and she is the cuddle bug I never knew I wanted.
Luna
A year ago, Delilah’s Rescue has to carry little dog named Juana out of the Miami-Dade animal shelter because she was too scared to walk. She had 4 puppies, but she was barely a year old. According to the vet papers, she was a 1.5 on the body scale. She was terrified of everything. She was so scared she wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t make eye contact, wouldn’t walk, she tried to hide in holes, and she pulled her metal crate into a closet to get away from people. I adopted her shortly after she was pulled from the shelter. Fast forward a year, a new name, and lots of love. She’s a different dog. Now Luna is a healthy, playful girl who loves long walks, attacks squeaky toys, and demands all the attention. Thank you Ashley and Delilah’s for giving this momma a second chance. I can’t imagine my life without her.
Jenny, Penny, Zach
Jenny was a dog that was pregnant and abandoned at a hotel in Fort Pierce. Delilah's rescued her, she was taken to a foster and delivered her puppies the day she arrived. My husband and I adopted from that litter, "Penny", now Baby Girl and a few weeks later decided we needed one more baby so we adopted another from the same litter, "Zach" now Scruffy Boy. Our experience with Delilah's was great. Ashley, the owner, and Katrina, the foster were both wonderful. They were always available for questions and checking in with us to see how everything is.
Bentley
We have adopted two times from this rescue. A little over two years ago, we adopted Bentley Cruze. Sadly, he has crossed the rainbow bridge. He had a blast with us and we truly will love him forever! A couple months ago, we adopted Buddy Bubs (formally known as Rolls). He came to us a little timid and shy. Now, hes a nut! Always running around and making lots of noise. He loves to sit in laundry baskets and and pass out fast at night. Buddy Bubs is an adorable and spunky six pound dog.
Thank you Delilahs and Ashley Masur for all you guys do 🥰
Tesla, the black lab mix is now Tessa
Rescued from Miami Dade kill shelter with bullet fragments in her skin, puppies blasted from her, and bleeding profusely, Ashley Masur, and Delilahs Second Chance rescue gave her a "second chance" at life. We quickly adopted her, loved on her, and now she is the 'Mother Hen' to her older sisters. Thank you for all you do Ashley! The good far outweighs the bad!
