Meet Polly! This petite Bully girl with adorable ears and a zest for life has truly blossomed in her foster home.  She is no longer fearful of car rides or outings to town and now enjoys going on walks, especially if there are lots of new smells to explore. Polly had an unfair start in life, but her natural joy is unmatched. She loves her foster parents and her pack, romping in the yard, and playing with toys, and she is a champion snuggler!

Polly came to us from a rural shelter. She had been confiscated as a puppy by Animal Control from a bad home situation and was held as "evidence" for almost two years until her prior owner was taken to court. Polly was rescued so young, she had little exposure to the outside world at the shelter before she came into rescue — stairs, car rides, and walks in a neighborhood were all new to her. She was held hostage by a broken justice system that took too long to act, so she had some catching up to do.

Thankfully Polly has had two incredible foster families that changed the course of her life. Timid dogs like Polly typically need more time in their foster home to be ready for adoption. Polly was fortunate to have foster parents who worked with her, gradually exposing her to new things, and expanding her horizons. She has flourished with some TLC and her trusty dog pack by her side. Polly loves other dogs and needs a pup buddy in her life. She gains confidence from other dogs and will continue to thrive with a playmate.

Polly lives with her foster parents, Shaleia and Sean, and their two pups, Doc and Donner. She was nervous when she first arrived but is fully comfortable and one of the gang now. Once she settles in, you can see her happy-go-lucky nature: she has a passion for food and toys, loves to play, and loves to be the center of attention. She’s also very affectionate with her humans and loves to snuggle up on the couch and just be.

FOSTER MOM UPDATE - 3/21/24

“Polly has come a long way since we first took her in. In new situations and places, she is still a little uncertain at first, but she gains confidence more quickly with repeated exposure. Once she's comfortable with a person or place, you get to see her confident and sassy personality emerge. She’s made progress in every area of her development, but the biggest progress has been at home. I’m so glad that she’s comfortable and happy in our home, and we’ve proven that she’s good with men, women, and kids. She loves my husband and has proven to be an equal-opportunity snuggler.

Polly loves to play with other dogs or her toys, especially if it’s something she can rip up or toss around.  When we give her a Whimzees Alligator chew it’s an event! . She will toss it, dance and prance around her treasure, and have her own little party. She treasures her toys and is the resident toy hoarder, always having one close by. She and our pup, Donner, really love their playtime together and are a great match. Polly likes to roughhouse play and is best paired with a confident, playful dog that she can learn from and emulate.

Leash Skills - One major improvement area has been walks. I think she would be just fine walking through more dense neighborhoods now, though she appreciates the more natural walking trails. She really enjoys long walks and marches at a good pace, but also likes to be able to stop and sniff the roses... and other things. She does best on paths she knows, but she only needs to visit a new route a few times to gain confidence. She's much more comfortable with bikes/strollers/etc and just keeps walking.  On solo walks, she is wonderful on leash - not reactive and responds very well to us. When walking with the other dogs, her confidence is higher but she tends to pull more so she can keep to the front of the pack.

Meeting New People - Polly is better around strangers now and doesn't seem as scared. She doesn't try to keep as much distance and seems more curious about them.  Having the other dogs there makes it easier on her because she'll be excited to say hi if they are. She follows their lead. She still takes time to trust new people and needs trust to be earned, but she has no ill will toward anyone, she just needs time to trust and verify they are OK.

My friend who comes over for playdates has made great progress with Polly. We had her come into the house on the last visit to see how Polly would react and it went pretty well. There was no barking or extra shy behavior. Now when we hang out, Polly will come up to her to say hi, get a couple of scratches, and give a lick to her hand too…

Crate - We're using the crate when the humans are out of the house. She would cry for a few minutes when you leave and again when she hears you come back home, but checking the camera shows she is quiet and calm the rest of the time.

We've tried her out of the crate at night, and she's mostly fine, but if we get up in the middle of the night it seems to surprise her and she gets spooked and takes time to relax again. When she's in the crate, it seems to give her more security because getting up never bothers her. My hypothesis is that this is another thing that she would get better at with repetition. She seems content to sleep in her crate at night and will go to the crate on her own when she sees us starting to get ready for bed.

Training/Commands - She knows a handful of commands but isn't always consistent with them. She's pretty good with 'leave it' and 'sit', though she is often so wiggly she doesn't stay sat long; she is okay at 'off' but she is very much in the habit of rearing up to get her paws on you, we haven't managed to break that habit yet but it's improved. She knows 'down' and 'stay'. Overall, she is really great at learning routines and generally knows what we expect of her and is responsive, but she still has the excitement level that can distract her at times.”

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We are looking for a loving, patient owner for Polly who will give her time to settle in and adjust to her new surroundings. We feel another social, playful, established dog in her home will help her trust and adapt more quickly. She will do best in a quieter neighborhood vs. city or condo setting. When given a chance, this sweet girl will charm you, and we can promise she will make you smile and laugh every day.

Apply today!
 
BREED ESTIMATE: AmStaff/Bully mix
GENDER: Female
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: ~ 35 lbs (petite pittie)
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~  3-4 years old
COAT TYPE:  short
ADOPTION FEE: $400
OTHER INFO: utd on shots/spayed/microchipped
LOCATION: Bealeton, Va

 

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application.

You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application.

Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.