SamanthaJane13
03-10-2011, 10:14 AM
It almost seemed that Duchess didn't want to be adopted.
In 2005, Mark and Tina Molnar of Lancaster had just lost their beloved American Eskimo dog, Flurry. Searching Petfinder.com for another Eskimo, Mark Molnar found the sad story of Duchess. The small white dog was living outside in a flooded area until a passer-by bought her from her neglectful owner and turned her over to Dawn's Canine Rescue in Falconer, outside Jamestown. The dog's teeth were ground down and broken from chewing rocks, she suffered from a broken leg, a fungal infection from being wet and was also found to be deaf and blind in one eye.
"We knew by her picture that she wasn't an Eskie, but we didn't really care," says Tina Molnar. "I said, 'We have to go get her, this is breaking my heart.'"
At the rescue, Tina Molnar almost chose another adorable little dog. And things got worse when her husband reached toward Duchess to hand her a treat and she nipped him. But Molnar says he told his wife, "We came to get Duchess, so let's give her a chance."
Back home, Duchess got a new name, Louise, after an elderly woman who had once been a patient of Tina Molnar, a medical aide. Her patient Louise "had white hair and piercing blue eyes, and every morning when I came in, she asked me how my dogs were," says Tina Molnar. "I told her, 'Louise, some day I am going to name one of my dogs after you,' and then this little rescue comes into my life, and no kidding, she resembles her."
Things didn't start off smoothly for the canine Louise. "She needed a lot of work," says Tina Molnar. "I thought she was toy aggressive, and she tried nipping us. But the dog had gone through so much, and I thought, 'I just have to give her some time.' She didn't understand that a hand going by her face wasn't a threat."
The second time she nipped Mark, he says, "I told Tina, 'This dog's not going to work out.' But she said, 'I'm starting to fall for her, so we're going to have to work with her.' I talked Tina into keeping her, and then Tina talked me into keeping her."
The Molnars admit that they did try to find another home for Louise. One woman even came by to see her, and recognized the bond that was developing. "She said, 'I can't take her from you, this is your dog!'" says Tina Molnar. "I thank her to this day for leaving her with me, because this dog is my life."
As Louise began to bond to Tina, her "brutal" separation anxiety showed itself. Tina Molnar says, "I was in the yard one day and she was in the house and I thought I heard a siren. I went running in and I realized it was her screaming, looking for me." Because Louise is deaf, she can't hear the noise she makes, which Molnar describes as a high-pitched yodel.
Gradually, with patience and a lot of attention and love, Louise has become comfortable at home with the Molnars and their other dogs. "It was just playing with toys with her, and giving her love and attention, taking her for walks and letting her understand that she is going to have a good life and be loved," says Tina Molnar.
After some research, the Molnars now believe that Louise is a miniature double merle Australian shepherd, the offspring of two merle Australian shepherds. Double merles, commonly known as "lethal whites," are white with pink skin and just a few spots of color. Because the genes that determine coloring also affect the development of hearing and sight, many double merle pups are born deaf or blind, or suffer other health complications.
Tina Molnar says having a deaf dog with limited eyesight is not a significant problem. "I use hand signals, and I touch her to get her attention if her head is turned," she says. Because she could easily run into traffic, Louise must be on a leash or in a fenced yard at all times. "She can see a little bit out of one eye, the other is completely blind," says Tina Molnar. "She can see enough to get around."
Looking back, Mark Molnar says he understands why Louise reacted with aggression when they first met her. "It shouldn't be a surprise that a dog who lives in fear, lives outside, has no love, their reactions are much more in tune with their instincts," he says. "Her instinct was to protect her food from everybody."
Now, "This dog and I are inseparable," says Tina Molnar. "She doesn't want to share Tina's attention," says Mark Molnar. "It's a dramatic change from her being so self-sufficient to being so attached."
Despite her handicaps and rough early life, Louise "lives a complete and happy life," says Mark Molnar. "We would highly recommend that if you are looking for a companion you strongly consider sharing your love with an animal who is handicapped or has not always been loved or treated with kindness."
http://www.buffalonews.com/life/article362505.ece
In 2005, Mark and Tina Molnar of Lancaster had just lost their beloved American Eskimo dog, Flurry. Searching Petfinder.com for another Eskimo, Mark Molnar found the sad story of Duchess. The small white dog was living outside in a flooded area until a passer-by bought her from her neglectful owner and turned her over to Dawn's Canine Rescue in Falconer, outside Jamestown. The dog's teeth were ground down and broken from chewing rocks, she suffered from a broken leg, a fungal infection from being wet and was also found to be deaf and blind in one eye.
"We knew by her picture that she wasn't an Eskie, but we didn't really care," says Tina Molnar. "I said, 'We have to go get her, this is breaking my heart.'"
At the rescue, Tina Molnar almost chose another adorable little dog. And things got worse when her husband reached toward Duchess to hand her a treat and she nipped him. But Molnar says he told his wife, "We came to get Duchess, so let's give her a chance."
Back home, Duchess got a new name, Louise, after an elderly woman who had once been a patient of Tina Molnar, a medical aide. Her patient Louise "had white hair and piercing blue eyes, and every morning when I came in, she asked me how my dogs were," says Tina Molnar. "I told her, 'Louise, some day I am going to name one of my dogs after you,' and then this little rescue comes into my life, and no kidding, she resembles her."
Things didn't start off smoothly for the canine Louise. "She needed a lot of work," says Tina Molnar. "I thought she was toy aggressive, and she tried nipping us. But the dog had gone through so much, and I thought, 'I just have to give her some time.' She didn't understand that a hand going by her face wasn't a threat."
The second time she nipped Mark, he says, "I told Tina, 'This dog's not going to work out.' But she said, 'I'm starting to fall for her, so we're going to have to work with her.' I talked Tina into keeping her, and then Tina talked me into keeping her."
The Molnars admit that they did try to find another home for Louise. One woman even came by to see her, and recognized the bond that was developing. "She said, 'I can't take her from you, this is your dog!'" says Tina Molnar. "I thank her to this day for leaving her with me, because this dog is my life."
As Louise began to bond to Tina, her "brutal" separation anxiety showed itself. Tina Molnar says, "I was in the yard one day and she was in the house and I thought I heard a siren. I went running in and I realized it was her screaming, looking for me." Because Louise is deaf, she can't hear the noise she makes, which Molnar describes as a high-pitched yodel.
Gradually, with patience and a lot of attention and love, Louise has become comfortable at home with the Molnars and their other dogs. "It was just playing with toys with her, and giving her love and attention, taking her for walks and letting her understand that she is going to have a good life and be loved," says Tina Molnar.
After some research, the Molnars now believe that Louise is a miniature double merle Australian shepherd, the offspring of two merle Australian shepherds. Double merles, commonly known as "lethal whites," are white with pink skin and just a few spots of color. Because the genes that determine coloring also affect the development of hearing and sight, many double merle pups are born deaf or blind, or suffer other health complications.
Tina Molnar says having a deaf dog with limited eyesight is not a significant problem. "I use hand signals, and I touch her to get her attention if her head is turned," she says. Because she could easily run into traffic, Louise must be on a leash or in a fenced yard at all times. "She can see a little bit out of one eye, the other is completely blind," says Tina Molnar. "She can see enough to get around."
Looking back, Mark Molnar says he understands why Louise reacted with aggression when they first met her. "It shouldn't be a surprise that a dog who lives in fear, lives outside, has no love, their reactions are much more in tune with their instincts," he says. "Her instinct was to protect her food from everybody."
Now, "This dog and I are inseparable," says Tina Molnar. "She doesn't want to share Tina's attention," says Mark Molnar. "It's a dramatic change from her being so self-sufficient to being so attached."
Despite her handicaps and rough early life, Louise "lives a complete and happy life," says Mark Molnar. "We would highly recommend that if you are looking for a companion you strongly consider sharing your love with an animal who is handicapped or has not always been loved or treated with kindness."
http://www.buffalonews.com/life/article362505.ece