She is a tough nut to crack, and what we have to say probably makes Adora sound like a veritable monster (and that's definitely not our intention). We could sugar-coat things and call her “quirky” or “unique” and “temperamental”. But in the case of Adora, we have had enough experience to say affirmatively that she is one of the most difficult rescues we have dealt with.
By sharing these true-grit aspects of Adora, we are fully aware it presents challenges that may deter people from taking the next step.
Every time when we say she bites, potential adopters back off. Frankly speaking, Adora is a great challenge that requires plenty of time, patience and determination to overcome.
The story of how Adora came to us is as tumultuous as can be expected.
Saved by a kind hearted lady who saw her collapsed on the floor near the brink of death, in terrible pain and a state of severe malnutrition. What really broke our hearts was the vet’s remarks when she was rushed in for emergency treatment: “She has such sad eyes – it’s like she has never known happiness before.” (Do read on for Adora’s heart-rending rescue here)
Life on the streets is a harsh reality for our rescues and we have seen many in all states of despair and devastation. For Adora, we have helped her to heal physically, but it is evident that her mental state still requires some care and attention. It’s been two years since we took her in and we’ve probably tried every trick in the book to help her get over her past experiences; unfortunately we just can't seem to rehabilitate her. Despite our best efforts, she still does not get along with other dogs. Adora is also prone to biting new people she meets, with a history of biting volunteers who help out with us.
Sudden movements can also startle her enough for her to bare her teeth.
Every time Adora acts up, we can’t help but have this unthinkable thought run through our heads - should we put her down? Then you might ask: Why did we bother to save her in the first place? The answer is simply because we believe in the power of HOPE and that we sincerely thought that we could successfully rehome her. Now we are finding ourselves increasingly at our wits end as we are faced with harsh reality – we neither have the time, expertise or funds to rehabilitate Adora.
Do we regret saving her? To be brutally honest, on some particularly bad days, we do. And other days we find ourselves thinking that nobody might ever give her a chance. Adora means "beloved one" in Latin – a beautiful and well-meaning name that we fervently hope will be lived up to, when she finally finds her fur-ever home.
With all that being said, we do have a handful of regular volunteers who are able to bathe her, pat her and wipe her paws. This means that it is not impossible to gain her trust it just takes more time and plenty of patience. In our observations, with weekly visits from our volunteers over a few sessions, Adora was entirely able to settle in and accept them. We do see a spark, a glimmer of hope for dear Adora.
She has come a long way since her rescue and what she really needs is a patient, experienced and committed owner, who can look past her brusqueness and kindly take a chance on her.
We are looking for someone who can rise up to the challenge; a person whom she can trust to overcome her fear and to teach her the way to love and show affection. Potential adopters must be VERY patient, willing to put in time for training and most importantly of all, be able to love her for who she is. Somewhere out there, we hope that there is a kind soul who can take on and overcome this challenge, for we are sure the sense of achievement will be super sweet!
Please get in touch with us at hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg if you feel a connection with dear Adora and would love to get to know her better!
Written by: Wee Yen
