Colby 2

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Update 09/08/12:

Great news in from Colby’s family!! Colby has completed her heartworm treatment with flying colors. After a few weeks of keeping calm, Colby is now showing her true personality. She is what they call a Velcro springer. Colby wants to hang out where the action is, whether it is inside or outside. She enjoys waking her foster family, both human and resident dogs, with morning kisses and then a subtle nudge that says “Hey, let’s go outside.” After doing her business, she is ready for some Springer play while her foster parents get ready for work. Although her family can only imagine what goes on while they are away at work or running errands, they do know that little Miss Colby is not destructive. Her family’s discovered that she likes to chew on cardboard or sometimes paper but that is very seldom. 

Colby still has great house manners and shows no food aggression. She romps around with both large and small resident dogs. Colby rarely barks but will sometimes break into her foster parents’ conversations by adding her 2 cents worth of “rooorooo” sound. This precious youngster will be looking for a home that is filled with love because she has a lot to give. Do you have that kind of home? Her foster parents know she will make some lucky family a real loving pet.

Update 08/08/12:

Colby has indeed turned into a diamond. Her sparkly personality has emerged during her time in foster care. Colby’s initial heartworm treatment was recently administered and the report from the vet was all positive. This required an overnight stay, but she was doing great!

Colby now enjoys playing with the rest of the resident dogs. She likes to wrestle with them but, when she plays with the little dogs, she is so gentle. With an ever-present smile on her face and constant tail wagging, this affectionate pup is eager to give kisses. Timid when she entered her foster home, she is no longer a shy dog.

Wonderful house manners are part of Colby’s repertoire, as well. She sits quietly under the dining room table while her foster parents eat. She does not counter-surf nor does she guard her food……although she will happily help the bigger dogs finish their food because she loves to eat! Because she’s excited to see her humans, she still has a tendency to jump on people, but this behavior is improving.

Watch for more news on Colby’s progress as she continues her journey to become heartworm-free. When she’s ready for her forever home, she will make some lucky family a perfect companion.

Original:

Picked up as a stray in North Carolina and then taken to a shelter, Colby had only a short time to be sprung before she would be euthanized due to severe overcrowding at the shelter. Luckily, MAESSR volunteers came to her rescue and her life has taken a happier direction.

Colby came to her foster home in terrible condition- covered in ticks, coat matted and filthy, sick with kennel cough. When given a bath that first night, she was apprehensive at first, but soon realized it made her feel good. She handled her first vet visit in a lady-like manner. Testing positive for hookworms and kennel cough, Colby received treatment for both. She also tested positive for heartworm disease and she is currently undergoing treatment for this infestation.

Completely housetrained, Colby will alert her foster parents if she needs to go out. When needing to go out in the middle of the night, she will either wait till the other resident dogs stir to wake up her foster parents and go out with them or, if it is really urgent, she will come over to her foster mom and gently give kisses to wake her up so she can go outside. In the kitchen, she doesn’t trash dive or counter-surf but will check out what her foster mom and dad may be doing on the counter when preparing their meals. Out of excitement Colby will jump up on her foster parents but is learning that is not how well-behaved Springers should act.

Colby does not need to be crated at night or during the day. When night time comes, she sleeps on the floor beside her foster mom’s bed and in the morning when she notices her foster mom stirring, Colby crawls up on the bed to lie next to her, giving kisses to say good morning. During the day when her foster parents are at work, Colby stays with the five resident dogs with whom she gets along well. She has not joined them in play as of yet, but she enjoys watching them interact. Her foster mom thinks that Colby will soon be playing with the pack. Colby knows the commands “sit,” “no,” and “down.” She loves to ride in the car and walks well on the leash.

Colby’s trip to the groomer also proved that she doesn’t mind extra pampering except for the nail trimming part. When getting her pedicure done, she tries to jerk her paw away. And while at the groomer, Colby met a six-year-old boy who petted her through the crate and in return she gave him kisses on the hand. She is a love bug!

One of earth’s most dramatic transformations is the creation of a diamond out of carbon. Such a transformation is occurring right now in Colby’s foster home. Her name means “dark” and “coal.” With the love and guidance of her MAESSR foster family, Colby is undergoing a transformation and with the continued love and training of her own forever family, Colby will be one shiny diamond.