The Señoritas- Chill Time At Dusty Tails Lodge

Dusty Tails Lodge owner Marlie Robinson with the girls in March.

In January, two terrified, feral young Shepherd girls arrived at Thrive Animal Rescue from Mexico. Healthy, beautiful and dressed in sweaters to keep them warm for the trip, these two Mexican street dogs stared at us with the look of dogs who have never seen human kindness. It’s a look we don’t often see with Southern California shelter dogs, but once you’ve seen it, it is something you do not forget.

Velma (back) and Daphne (front) at 10 weeks of age, straight off the van from Mexico.

What we loved about these two untrained beauties, was how much they love other dogs. That is definitely a theme for us at Thrive- we try our best to find dogs who like dogs as much as we do. We knew it would be some time before they were ready for adoption, so we sent them to Dusty Tails Lodge to get them acclimated to life among human kindness, and now, several months later, they are coming around. Here’s Marlie’s report on the girls.

“These girls came to us when they were around 12-14 weeks old. They were beyond terrified and wanted nothing to do with people. They were perfectly happy being in their crates and being left alone. We gave them some time to acclimate to their new environment and then had them take turns each day being in a crate in the middle of the house, so they could get used to all the sounds, and sights that go along with being in a household with people and other dogs. We started to notice they loved to be around the other dogs, it was the humans they were very afraid of. If out in the yard with the other dogs they would run and play but as soon as they realized we were around they would scatter and run for their crates. I took turns attaching them to my waist and having them follow me all over the house and I would give them treats all day long. This really helped form a closer and more trusting bond with the girls.”

Velma and Daphne have blossomed into beautiful dogs who simply need the right environment to THRIVE.

If you, or someone you know is looking for a wonderful, small Shepherd to share their life with, call Marlie at Dusty Tails Lodge and she’ll fill you in on their personality traits and needs in going forward. There is nothing as rewarding as watching a dog learn to trust and begin to accept and give love.

Marlie Robinson 760.828.0961