Hairball’s Dog Is Evidence Why You Should Rescue

I adopted a German Shepherd a few months ago, and so far it's been a rewarding experience.

Drea is a one and a half-year-old German Shepherd Dog, but the first year and few months of her life were less than ideal.

A few months ago, she and her sister were dropped off at a dog groomer, and their prior owner told the groomer that they needed to take the dogs from him, or he was going to shoot them.

The groomer called a friend they knew who worked with the German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Iowa (GSDRI), and he swept the dogs away to their new lives.

German Shepherd Dog Rescue of Iowa, Inc. is a no-kill, non-profit organization that, through education, training, and fundraising, is dedicated to caring for and finding good homes for all German Shepherd Dogs that are abandoned, neglected, or in need of assistance for any reason.

Drea was taken to a veterinarian to get checked out, was given the shots and meds she needed, and then was entered into the foster network the rescue has.

Around the state, there are people (who should be entered for sainthood) that take these broken, sick, and damaged dogs, giving them a safe home until they find their forever families. Plus, to make sure the home is a good fit, they'll send someone for a home visit before the adoption.

Now with me, Drea shows improvements every day. What just two months ago was a shy, reclusive dog, is now a tail-wagging, loving dog who doesn't know a stranger.

It hasn't been without its little challenges. Eventually, she won't need to be kenneled when I'm away, but we needed something to work in the meantime. I quickly learned that a conventional wire kennel is no match for a 65lb German.

I put carabiners around the door as I'd done with my family's Australian Shepherd, but she's about half the size of Drea. Those clips lasted about 15 minutes, and she was out. So, I upgraded those clips from the 65lb rated ones, to some that bolted shut and were rated for 1,500lbs, but she showed me that just because she can't get out of the cage, doesn't mean she won't freely roam the house.

This first photo was while I was at the station, at 5:29am, she's laying down, chill as can be. I was relieved that she wasn't out tearing down the blinds.

10 minutes later, I check the camera again, and to my surprise, she was gone, but the cage liner was gone.

I was at work, so I let my mom know what was up, and she was kind enough to go and try to find her. She'd walked her way into the kitchen, picking up a few keepsakes along her way. Other than this incident, she's been an absolute angel.

The resolution was to get her a crate that was rated for keeping internationally wanted criminals, from Ruffland.

If you're out looking for a dog to be the right fit for your family, consider adopting, and if you're considering a German, check out the GSDRI. They have dogs of all ages, with about every type of background you can imagine.

You can follow their available doggos on their Facebook page.