Rescue Tail / Zany Finds Her Bliss

Contributed by Animal Behavior Manager- Cathy Baier

The love affair between Jean and Zany would never have happened without the help of others along the way. This Rescue Tail is about friends helping friends, friends helping dogs, and friends in the wonderful community of Key West steadfastly supporting the work of the Florida Keys SPCA.

Molly/aka Zany spent the first seven years of her life in her original home. Then this spring, her life took an unexpected turn when her person passed away. Fortunately, his two very good friends who were also good friends to Molly stepped in. Having cared for her often in the past, they fondly referred to her as their “doggie niece.” So when Molly found herself alone and without a home, these kind men gave her one.

Unfortunately, this didn’t turn out to be an “…and they lived happily ever after” story. Molly came with two big challenges. The first was lack of housetraining. In spite of regular walks, she still had frequent accidents in the house. The second was her inability to be alone without panicking, an emotional reaction she exhibited since puppyhood. Apparently, she would scratch on the door relentlessly in an effort to get out. A crate was tried. Confinement only made it worse. To avoid her suffering, her new dads took her everywhere. Molly was sweet and social, so that option made life workable for Molly but not optimal for her guardians. Molly had been with them about six months when they faced some personal changes themselves and had to bring her to the FKSPCA.

Fortunately, Molly adapted better than expected to shelter life. However, adopting a senior dog who isn’t fully housetrained AND can’t be left alone was a big ask of someone. The house training was the easier part; the separation issues were more challenging. From what we could tell from her history, Molly suffered more from isolation distress, not separation anxiety.

According to those who specialize in treating the condition, true separation anxiety is attachment to a specific person. Isolation distress is more common and describes a dog who can be comforted by the presence of any appropriate kind person, not anyone specific. Both conditions can be treated successfully (visit https://www.hssv.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Separation-Anxiety-vs-Isolation-Distress-1.pdf). Placing a dog like Molly is tricky. Her looks, small size, and sweetness instantly sold her to potential adopters, but for most, her challenges were a mismatch with lifestyles.

Then Jean came along. Jean’s love affair with Molly began with an introduction by a good friend and longtime volunteer at the shelter. She knew Jean was sorely missing the sixteen year companionship she shared with her Bichon Frise who had recently passed. She brought Jean in to meet Molly. Since it’s the policy of the FKSPCA to be honest with adopters about any issues an animal might have, we shared what we knew about Molly.

Jean had some realistic concerns. After losing a much-loved dog, the thought of getting a new dog can feel like an emotional roller-coaster, generating questions such as, “Am I ready?” “Am I being disloyal?” “Will this be a good dog like my last dog?” But as the meet progressed, those first signs of love between the two began to show. Jean became cautiously excited about the prospect of a new companion.

For us, Jean had some distinct advantages. She worked from home, had a secure fenced property where Molly would have freedom to move about, and best of all, Jean had trusted friends and dog-savvy family

to help so Molly would never have to be alone as she adapted to a new life. It was during their second meet ‘n greet that Jean said, “I’m going to call her Zany.” At that point we knew a future for Molly was in the making. We knew for sure that Jean was committed to Zany when the gorgeous centerpiece living room carpet was willingly and temporarily rolled up so that her new friend wouldn’t be tempted to have an accident. That’s what we call setting up for success!

Updates from Jean have included words like “perfect, over-the-moon in love, huge success.” It sounds like Molly, now Zany, has found the home she needed, and Jean has found the good friend she wanted. Our thanks to everyone who helped make this Florida Keys SPCA Rescue Tail possible. For behavior support, contact our FKSPCA Behavior Helpline at [email protected] or call (305) 294-4857.

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