After a not-so-great start in life, Tessy has a lot to be happy about!
This adorable black Lab mix girl arrived at a Delaware shelter, hoping to find the perfect home shortly, but it turned out her special person didn’t come easy.
She was overlooked by countless families due to her reactive behavior that came as a result of being a shelter dog for too long. Days turned into months, months into years, and Tessy still waited. Then, after more than 1,000 days, the perfect family showed up!
Playful, Loyal, Goofy
The good people of Humane Animal Partners, in Delaware, took Tessy in after she was transferred from Humane Society of North Texas. The first time she arrived in HAP, she was so playful, goofy, and absolutely pawsitive!
She had a beautiful way with every single volunteer in the shelter until her shelter environment began to take a toll on her. It resulted in Tessy being fearful and reactive around strangers and unknown dogs.
Even though the team always tried their best to make her comfortable, this Lab girl was always unsure around new people. Usually, she needed some time to understand that she was safe, and that’s when she began to open up.
On the other hand, Tessy was an absolute favorite to all of the people of HAP. Her playful and charming personality was just hauntingly cute. The fact that she showered everyone with a big wiggle and a smile whenever they called her out made her caregivers melt instantly!
“She is sure to greet our staff with a big smile and even bigger wiggle every morning,” HAP wrote on Facebook.
The problem was – Tessy had been overlooked for so many years. Every time a family showed up to adopt her (due to her favorable breed), they would end up withdrawing their application due to her reactive behavior.
Diagnosed With Fear-Reactive Behavior
Leigh McKinley, the director of HAP, together with the HAP team, was determined to help Tessy. This giant-hearted volunteer and professional trainer set up a whole plan to help this poor girl overcome her fears.
She was provided with her very own sound-proof kennel and custom curtains that helped her lower her stress levels. McKinley and the team monitored her behavior on a daily basis, and made sure she was trained with positive reinforcement techniques.
Tessy was walked several times every day by the HAP staff. She really started liking her outings to the beach and to local parks. After a while, she genuinely enjoyed every single minute spent outside, which was huge progress!
Jeanine, Jeff, And Tessy Were Just Meant To Be
After many failed attempts to adopt Tessy out, Jeanine Walker-Porter and Jeff Bush turned out to be the perfect match for Tessy. They agreed to visit this girl several times before the team was absolutely sure that she was comfortable with them.
And, during their last visit, Tessy was just giving the best signals that she had finally found the perfect hoomans. She was absolutely smitten with her new owners!
The shelter gave their long-time resident the most emotional send-off to a new home. Everyone at the shelter was there to give Tessy one last goodbye hug before she went off to the forever home.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but eventually, everyone was so happy to see her finally being around the perfect people!
After some time, Jeanine and Jeff updated the team with the greatest news! Tessy adjusted to the new environment, and she absolutely loves every single thing about her new home.
“She is always by our side. She loves to sit between the two of us… We love her and are so happy she is ours,” Jeanine wrote.
Once a fearful doggo girl insecure about everything, Tessy’s now embracing every day as a brand-new adventure. And, she absolutely loves it!