Crystals Story

Crystal was one of 5 x 6mth old long coat German Shepherd Puppies (2 white & 3 Black/tan) taken in by the
North East Rescue on the 7th Feb 2002 as their owner/breeder was going to prison.The puppies where all
taken to the vet and neutered the following day. Linda first saw these puppies when she offered to lend
our fully caged transit van to the rescue in order that the puppies could be transported to a temporary
foster home. Linda went along to the vets to help collect the puppies and was shocked at the state they
were in. They were the most frightened animals she had ever seen and their reactions where that of wild
animals and not of domesticated dogs. their coats where urine stained and covered in excrement.
(the vet was going to try and shave the coats but felt that the puppies
where in such a bad way mentaly and physically that it was best to leave it for now) the smell from
them was disgusting and all were very under weight.
The puppies were taken to a short term foster home and settled into a large clean kennel. It was obvious
thatthese puppies would need to be seperated and found knowledgeable experianced foster homes as they
were like a packof wild animals depending on each other for all their emotional and physical needs only requiring humans
for food and water.
We agreed to foster one of these puppies and on 16th Feb a White bitch whom we named Crystal arrived. Our first task was getting her out of the van we managed to get a lead on her but as she had never before had a lead on she panicked and was
snapping like a crocodile. She was to frightened to come into the house and spent the first few days in a kennel curled up in a ball rigid with fear. As her trust in Linda grew she began to follow her and eventually came into the house. She was no problem with our dogs but she was fasinated by the cats and Linda managed to brush and cut the excrement from her coat. For about the first week that she was in the house if anyone came in the front door she would bolt out of the back door and if the back door was closed she would leap into the kitchen sink and try and escape through the window. She would not go out the front door as she was not used to being in such large open spaces but with some gentle persuasion and a bit of help from our other dogs she soon learn't what fun it was to run in the fields and splash in puddles. She even learn't to walk on a lead.
We felt Crystal was now ready to go to a more permanent home. There was a home waiting that had already been checked by North East Rescue and it seemed ideal for Crystal. The couple had a 7yr old son and a 1yr old neutered male German Shepherd. Linda took Crystal to the home as she knew more about her than anyone and she wanted to make sure it was a suitable home for her. Linda was happy with the family and Crystal went to live with them. Then about 10wks later North East Rescue recieved a phone call to say that Crystal had bitten the husband and the son and that they could no longer keep her. As soon as we where told we agreed to have Crystal back as we found it hard to believe that she would bite anyone.
Crystal was certainly happy to be back she jumped all over us licking our faces, squealing and wagging her tail it was as if she had never been away. Crystal is by no means perfect but we love her and she will spend the rest of her life her with us.