With Patience

What a difference a day makes. 

Yesterday she cowered and flinched at even the slightest movement near her and she hadn't eaten in days.

 

We have been talking to her, reading to her, asking her permission for touches, giving her lots of choices, and feeding her non-stop. A couple of hours ago (when we were not looking at her), she felt comfortable enough to leave the crate and come out to the dog bed we placed outside of it. 

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We have rescued many stray/feral dogs, but Ivy is the first one that we know was never touched by humans because she was born in the street. Everything is so new and scary to her.

She is not aggressive in anyway whatsoever, she's just shut down and terrified.

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We see this in kids that come from trauma also. Kids that just shut off in order to continue on. Often, these are the hardest ones to help heal. You see, when a child or animal is aggressive or acting out it can sometimes be easier to transform that emotion into a positive one. It's something to work with at least. Something you can mold and shape with love and guidance.

When they are shut down. When they have just gone numb to everything; you don't have any place to start.

Working to make the light go from blinding to dim, is easier then blindly trying to help someone find their way out of the dark. 

"Trauma creates change you don't choose. Healing creates change you do choose."
-Michelle Rosenthall

 

What we are doing here is simply offering broken hearts a choice. 

 

#healing
#onelovingactatatime
#rescuelife
#rescueanimalsrescuingchildren
#safeinaustin