This sweet pup found herself abandoned in a park, tethered to a pole, and left feeling incredibly lonely.
The person who was supposed to take care of her and love her forever betrayed her trust, leaving her in a constant state of fear.
When she arrived at the shelter, she was not doing well. Her fear was too overwhelming.
However, across the country, someone caught wind of her story and decided that they were going to be the ones to rescue her.
Overwhelming Fear Of Men
After witnessing Rain, formerly named River, struggling in the shelter, the staff made a compassionate decision to reach out to the one person that they were confident could provide the assistance needed.
Lee Asher, the founder of the Asher House Sanctuary in Estacada, Oregon, has a lot of experience in rescuing and rehabilitating animals that have faced abuse and abandonment.
If there’s anyone capable of helping Rain overcome her fear, it would be him.
“This rescue, whom I worked with before, reached out to me about this dog who was not doing well at the shelter. She was left chained to a tree, or chained to a bench at a park. […] The only way they could get the dog out of the shelter is if they had a committed adopter. I said, ‘I will be on the next flight out and get her’,” Asher told The Dodo.
When they first met, Rain was very vocal, barking frequently and displaying clear signs of fear, particularly around men.
While she was at the shelter, she could not stop shaking, she lacked confidence, and she was very scared and anxious. It was not the best environment for her.
Her anxiety led Rain to engage in self-destructive behavior, including chewing on her foot, which, unfortunately, resulted in her limping.
“You know, you’re dealing with a dog who was abused, who knows in how many ways, emotionally, physically, usually by a man. So, when they see a six-foot-five, 250-pound man, and they don’t know me yet, it can sometimes be pretty fearful,” Asher said.
After spending some time with Asher, Rain began to noticeably relax. She was beginning to understand that this man was not going to hurt her.
But, there was still a huge road ahead of them, both metaphorically and literally, because the two had to embark on a road trip from LA all the way to Rain’s new home in Oregon.
Rain At The Sanctuary
Rain said her goodbyes to the shelter staff and embarked on a journey home.
“I have a long drive ahead of me, I can assure you, by the end of the drive, she’ll be with me like glue,” Asher said.
Surprisingly, Rain was a pretty well-behaved girl during their drive, spending the majority of the time peacefully snoozing in the car.
Soon, they reached her new home – the Asher House Sanctuary, where lots of other furry companions awaited them.
“I have no doubt that a long drive from LA all the way back to Oregon helped us bond and bring our trust to a point where I can truly feel that she now knows I am her dad. It’s beautiful. I can’t tell you how much I love her,” Asher said.
Now that Rain has opened up to her dad’s love, she isn’t afraid of men anymore and enjoys her life at the sanctuary surrounded by lots of furry friends.
She went from being afraid of even being in the same room as Lee to not wanting to leave his side ever again.
Take a look at her journey: