Today’s foster feature is Butch the Dachshund – Part 1 (By Shellie Bellinghausen)
When one of our fosters advised me there was a dachshund at the Columbus city pound, I knew I had to call to see if he was still there. Yes, I’m the crazy dachshund lady…well, maybe a few dogs shy of being crazy.
When I called the city office, the lady I spoke with wasn’t aware of a dachshund but left a message for the Animal Control Officer to contact me. He called a couple days later and said there was, in fact, a young dachshund there, but he was very aggressive. He had bitten the officer, drawing blood on more than one occasion. If this had been anything other than a small town city pound, this dog most likely would have been euthanized right away,
This little guy had been there for over a month, and the ACO, whose name is Butch, was able to get him to at least let him pet him, but he still couldn’t pick him up. I was relieved to find out he was not dog aggressive, as the officer had put him in with another small dog for a little while, and they got along well.
After finding out the requirements for TBAR to be able to pull as a rescue and getting TBAR officer approval, I arranged to pick up this dachshund after our event that weekend. Even though they are closed on the weekends, Butch was willing to meet me there late that Saturday afternoon.
I had no idea how I was going to be able to work with an aggressive dog in my small condo with three other very active dogs (dachshunds, of course). Over the next few days, I kept praying God would somehow cause this little guy to feel completely comfortable with me and remove any aggressive tendencies.
When I arrived in Columbus that Saturday afternoon, I followed Butch to the kennels. As we walked to the gate, we could hear the dachshund barking at us. Once we were inside, he continued barking and growling viciously. Butch told me that several people expressed interest in adopting him, but when they saw how aggressive he was, they weren’t willing to take the chance. To me, there was no choice. This little guy needed help, and at TBAR, it’s what we do.
I brought hot dogs with me (bribery might work, I thought). But when I tried to give him a piece, rather cautiously so as to keep my fingers in-tact, he wasn’t interested. So I gave a little to the other six or eight dogs impounded there. I decided to give it one more shot with the dachshund, and this time he very gently took it from my fingers. That was a good sign, and I was encouraged. Still, I wasn’t sure how I was going to work with this little guy.
Butch was able to get him into the metal crate he had been brought in with, and I had him put a collar and leash on him that I brought with me. I figured this way I’d at least be able to control him when getting him out of the crate later. Into the backseat he went, and we started on our way.
I decided to call him Butch, after the ACO, who was a tough ol’ guy with a kind heart. This little dachshund was definitely tough, but I wasn’t sure how kind he’d be.
I immediately called the vet we use in Bryan, Dr. Thurstin at CCC Animal Clinic, and she graciously agreed to meet me at the clinic as soon as I got back to town that evening. I needed to make sure he didn’t have anything contagious before bringing him home. But how in the world was she going to examine him?!
To be continued…