As you recall, when Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, the King's horses and soldiers couldn't put him back together again. That will not be true for Mr. Wilson, age 11, a Mexican Hairless Terrier. Beginning at age four, his shelter records reflect being adopted and returned seven times within seven years, all for the same reasons: resource guarding and separation anxiety.

A surefire way to cultivate emotionally fragmented behaviors in senior dogs is to not address behavioral challenges in younger years, providing the dog with coping strategies and repeatedly abandoning them. For trust-challenged dogs like Mr. Wilson, every time he thought he was ‘home’ only to wake up in a shelter reinforced and escalated maladaptive behaviors. Seven years of practicing ‘mistrust’ is etched into his perception as ‘reality.’ Our healing work will focus on the building blocks of trust. It may take the remainder of his life to feel whole, but his joy is worth the effort for us.

We hope you feel the same by sponsoring Mr. Wilson’s life journey with a monthly donation and receiving updates on his progress.