Chilli

When we first met Chilli, we saw a very scared girl who had zero trust in people. Unfortunately, her inexperienced owner inadvertently enabled this by “protecting her” from strangers. We worked with the owner and Chilli for weeks, educating Chilli’s mom and exposing Chili to simple challenges like walking outside on a leash and visiting the local feed store. In January she had entropion surgery and was spay. She healed well but was still a nervous wreck around people. It was heartbreaking to watch, but past her eyes, we could see a smart girl hiding behind all that fear. Despite our efforts, she was still getting very limited exposure to the outside world.
In the best interest for this dog, and financial challenges, it was decided that Chillis greatest chance for a bright future was with Merlin’s Hope.
One of our trusted and experienced foster homes had room since the sad passing of her beloved Octavia …a Merlin’s Hope alumni.
Chilli moved in, shut down, refused to eat and was clearly out of sorts. All three resident male dogs gave her the space she needed but let her know, she was somewhere safe. Once she settled in, the goal was to help her cope with new people, walk confidently on a leash and enjoy being a dog.
Patience paid off but even better, something amazing happened. Chilli came alive and blew an unexpected energy into the otherwise quiet and sedate household. Dogs began to play, toys were being tossed around and relationships were developing in the best ways possible. Foster mom’s heart is full watching all her dogs enjoy puppy-like antics and the endearing cuddles and snuggles. A new routine includes an evening of wrestling followed by mutual grooming…all thanks to the newest addition to the pack, Princess Chilli.
There’s no going back to life without her.
Welcome home and congratulations to the new normal!