Sometimes, it only takes a few smiles, a little bit of treats, and a gentle pet on the head to regain a shelter dog’s trust.
Now, imagine what months in a loving foster home can do!
When Sequoia, the shelter American Bully girl, first arrived at her foster home, she was frozen. She had a horrible past, was skin and bones, and never, ever had a cuddle session with an owner.
Fortunately, all that was about to change – thanks to an amazing couple from California!
Sequoia’s Backstory
Sequoia was saved, alongside dozens of other dogs, from a back yard breeder by the I Stand With My Pack organization, from Culver City, California. She had a rough past, and was definitely neglected for most of her life.
Upon her arrival at the rescue, Sequoia was malnourished and scared, and she definitely had no idea how to be a dog or how to behave around people.
“She was so scared and borderline shutdown when we rescued her. She came such a long way. Love and good care healed her broken heart and gave her a hope for the future,” her rescuers wrote on Facebook.
An amazing couple from California, Alyssa and Alon, decided to foster this doggo girl. Even though Alyssa lost her soul dog a year ago, and she wasn’t quite sure about having another one in her life, something about Sequoia made her and Alon want her instantly, and they went for it!
As it turned out, fostering her would be one of the best decisions they ever made!
However, Sequoia’s journey was not an easy one. For the first few months, she was pretty much shut down and afraid of basically everything!
From Fear To Love
From the moment they brought her home, this Bully girl was nervous and scared. She even refused to leave the car the first time she arrived at a foster home.
She refused to walk, didn’t know how to climb stairs up or down, and didn’t even know how to use a dog bed. Sequoia was afraid of any strange noise.
Even the TV scared her, and her foster parents knew they had to take things slow. But then, Alon embraced her in his arms and carried her upstairs. That was a breakthrough moment for both Sequoia and her fosters!
At that very moment, she melted into her foster dad’s arms – and he just knew that they had to adopt her!
“I’ll never forget the day we got Sequoia. She was so hesitant and nervous to get out of the car, but when she did, she went straight to you & melted into your arms. You looked at me and said “she’s not leaving,” wrote Sequoia’s mom in her birthday message.
It was as if she knew that from then on, she would always be safe. And, her dad became her new favorite person!
The rest, as they say, is history! She became the perfect foster fail. Her rescuers were so happy and grateful that Alyssa and Alon decided to keep this dog, as they just seemed ideal for each other!
Within only a few months, Sequoia transformed into a brand-new dog. Little by little, she overcame her fears and replaced them with sweet cuddles from her parents.
Living The Best Life
Today, Sequoia lives like her past never happened! She is basically a 75-pound lap dog who just loves to cuddle and spend her time with Alyssa and Alon. She successfully overcame her previous trauma, and she now loves being the center of attention!
“You would never, ever know that she went through what she went through before we got her,” Alyssa told GeoBeats Animals.
Sequoia goes to the beach with her mom and dad, meets new people, and enjoys belly rubs very much!
She’s an amazing dog with incredible social skills and one-of-a-kind intuition.
Sequoia is amazing with kids. She has a natural instinct that makes her bond with her tiny hooman friends very specially. But, her playful nature and friendly personality are not only limited to humans!
She also has a wonderful way with other dogs – and seizes every opportunity to play with them on her outings.
Her mom and dad are so grateful to have her in their life. Adopting Sequoia was definitely a win – and seeing her thrive every day is just something that can’t be bought!