Rescue Tails / Gigi 

BY TAMMY FOX-ROYER

Executive Director Florida Keys SPCA

There are few things more satisfying to a shelter worker than a great family adopting an animal and then returning  to adopt a second one. That’s just what happened with Noah and his wife Kristen.

Gigi came to us as a skinny, sick, homeless stray. She was young and obviously hadn’t had much luck in her short life. Her presenting medical conditions would have been a textbook case for any new vet student. She was diagnosed with anemia, blood loss, internal parasites,  ringworm, and also tested positive for parvo! Yikes!

We had our work cut out for us and so did Gigi.  Her treatment and recovery took months. At times, we wondered if she would ever be healthy enough for adoption after such a rough start. We’d see progress, then another medical hurdle surfaced.

Thinking that perhaps a combination of shelter stress, in addition to the isolation required for a necessary quarantine, were making things worse, we sent her into a foster home. Unfortunately in addition to her medical challenges she also had behavioral problems.  The sight of anything approaching or moving past her would throw her into hysterics, causing her to lunge, leap, and scream like a banshee. It took only a few days before her foster mom asked us to take her back.

In time and with lots of treatment, she finally began to regain her health and put on some pounds. Even her reactivity began to lose its intensity. Eventually, just motorcycles and scooters set her off. We felt that if someone had the  patience to work with her, even that issue could be resolved.

Noah and Kristen came looking for a companion and we were impressed by how seriously they viewed the commitment of  adoption and how responsible and thoughtful they were. They liked Gigi and and in spite of her rocky start and her behavioral issues, they wanted her.  We thought they were the perfect family for her and it turned out we were right.  Noah worked hard on building her trust and self-control. It wasn’t too long before he reported that she would sit calmly in the doorway even when a neighbor started up his motorcyle. They were thrilled with Gigi’s progress and totally in love with her. Periodic updates showed her playing at the beach and enjoying being a Key West dog, now named Quinn.

About eight months later, Noah and Kristen decided they would like to get her a friend, but this time decided a smaller dog might be a good choice. They happened to come to the shelter shortly after a little Maltese mix had been surrendered to us. Like Gigi had been, Cali was young and sweet, but fortunately in good health. Given how successfully they had integrated Gigi/Quinn into their lives, we felt  confident that Cali would also succeed with them. The first update we received assured us that it was a great match and the pictures they have shared are proof.

The FKSPCA staff works hard to help our adopters find animals that will be a good match for them, but we work just as hard to help our animals find the right adopters to help them succeed. Adoption is a two-way street, and success has to flow in both directions. Thanks to Noah, Kristen, Quinn, and Cali for showing us it can be done!

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