Emori (Ava)
After being hit by a car, frightened German Shepherd puppy Emori needed a whole lot of love and care to get back on her paws.
Emori was left in a pretty bad way after the accident. She needed a leg amputation at a local vet, but her owner wasn’t able to afford the operation or the ongoing care she would need. So, it was with a heavy heart they had to part ways with their beloved canine companion, who was handed into our care at Woodgreen after a successful operation.
Emori was emotionally shutdown
As you can imagine, Emori was still quite shaken by her experience when she arrived at our centre. It can be a struggle for any dog to get used to a new environment, but after such major surgery and without her previous owner, it would’ve been especially scary for her.
It’s no surprise that she seemed extremely nervous and barely moved from her bed for several days. If anyone passed by outside, she would try to curl up into a ball. We all felt so sorry for her but knew from long experience that dogs like Emori can bounce back – and our team was determined to help her get there.
Charis had to hand feed her to gain her trust
For the first couple of days, it was hard to even get her to eat, but her carer, Charis, never gave up. Over time she won Emori’s trust and this nervous girl started to eat bits and pieces from Charis’s hands.
It seemed she just didn’t want to eat alone. This was a huge step forward for Emori on her road to recovery, but next, we had to get her up and moving again.
“It was so wonderful to see her come out of her shell and reveal her cheeky, mischievous personality. She went from wanting no attention at all to being a total cuddle monster!”
Emori finds her feet again
She was a bit unsteady on her paws as she adapted to life on three legs, but we encouraged her every time she gave it a go.
As well as making progress with her physical recovery, Emori gradually started showing signs of getting her confidence back too. She fondly remembers the first time Emori sat on her lap for the first time – another huge turning point.
“At first, she was a bit cautious – she’d sit at the far end of the garden watching us. We set up several comfy quiet areas for her in different rooms so she had her own space. She had plenty of toys to keep her occupied too. As she settled in, she became more vocal – voicing her displeasure at the pigeons in the garden and the window cleaner! Sometimes she appeared to get tired from moving around on three legs, so we had to ensure she didn’t overdo it.”
Some R&R at Emily's
Although Emori had been going from strength to strength, she wasn’t quite ready for rehoming. Like most dogs who need some extra love and care, we knew that time in a home with more one-to-one attention would hugely benefit Emori. So, we placed her with Emily, one of our fantastic fosterers.
Into The Meeting Pen
Back at Woodgreen, our teams were busy finding Emori a new owner who could give her all the love and patience she needed. And it was during the filming of The Dog House that she met her perfect match – Pauline and her two sons, Aaron and Cecil.
After a recent divorce, animal-lover Pauline had made a fresh start in a new house and was now looking for a canine companion to make it a home. Our team introduced her to the gorgeous girl Emori but it was clear poor Emori was incredibly nervous. Given everything that she had been through we all understood her reaction. We helped Pauline take things slow with her in The Meeting Pen and soon enough Emori started to calm down and came over.
After a bit of fuss, you could see Emori start to show her affectionate side and she quickly won over Pauline, who decided Emori was the dog she’d been looking for to fit into her new life. She’s now called Ava, and it sounds like she’s enjoying every minute of her new life too!
“Ava has settled into her new home with me and adapted so well to her disability – she can even keep up with other dogs in the park! Getting Ava has been the best decision I’ve made this year. She gets me out the house a lot more, and she is a great comfort.”
Pups from the last series
We’re now in our fourth series of The Dog House at Woodgreen, and we’re so proud to have matched so many good boys and girls with their new families. Take a look at the dogs from previous episodes of the show and read their stories.