Shelter dog refused to look at anyone until a family transformed him
Clementine was a homeless dog who was rescued from her horrible condition. Found by animal control in the streets of Southern California, she only weighed 45 pounds with half her fur gone,
The poor dog also had five concurrent infections. Her many health issues had Clementine scheduled to be put down at the shelter. Until someone came to her rescue.
Chelsea Elizabeth Cossairt sent an application to the shelter when she saw Clemetine’s photo online.
“The person at Ginger’s Pet Rescue was floored and in tears that we were interested in her. She told us that of the hundreds of applications they’d received for dogs in the previous few weeks, not one had been for Clementine.” she told The Dodo.
The worker told Cossairt that Clementine’s health was unpredictable but she didn’t mind.
Clementine came home with Elizabeth in January and it was obvious she wasn’t used to humans.
“Clementine was absolutely terrified of people and wouldn’t look anyone in the eyes,” she said. “She shook all the time, hid behind furniture and sat facing the wall for months.”
The poor dog had had “defeated, empty eyes.” Clementine seemed to always be afraid.
But her new family had two other furry friends that Clementine immediately trusted. Moose and Maple provided Clementine with the love and support and Elizabeth saw the dog’s potential.
Celementine’s many appointments with the vet for treatments helped her get better, and finally had the dog showing more confidence.
Seven months later, Clementine began to love looking at her owners in the eye.
“She loves to look deeply into our eyes while we pet her, and she’s very attentive when we’re talking to her,” Elizabeth said. “She’s still wary of new people and sometimes even gets spooked by us if we move too quickly or come up behind her, but she’s come so far.
It’s like she’s a puppy again. Clementine’s playfulness and curiosity began to show.
“She’ boops’ everything in sight — we think it’s her way of exploring and figuring out what things are. She’s so puppy-like that sometimes we wonder if she got to be a puppy at all. She’ll nudge your hand if you’re not petting her or if you stop and she’s not done yet.”
Elizabeth was more than happy to see Clementine finally come out of her shell.
“She’s so sweet and such a gentle girl,” Elizabeth said. “We could tell very early on that she just wants to love and be loved in return. She’s loyal and protective of us, and she follows us around everywhere.”
Clementine now weighs a healthy 70 pounds. Her infections are gone. She has a special diet while undergoing immunotherapy for her 60+ allergies.
It’s been a long road for Clementine but Elizabeth is glad she’s getting better. The dog’s amazing transformation both inside and out are all thanks to the love she gets from her humans.
Our furry friends need all our love and support.
Meet Clementine in both videos!
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