Thomas

Thomas, nearly 2 year black male, was a child of a bitter PG County divorce. He first went to live with his Mom and kids, but one day without warning, Mom showed up on Dad's doorstep to dump Thomas on him. Dad was a long haul trucker who was living with his mother and in no position to rightly care for a dog. As an interim measure, he put a run and a self feeder in the backyard, and there Thomas stayed isolated for quite awhile. Finally Dad and Grandma could stand it no more and found LRR to call about Thomas. Dad delivered Thomas to our Director's home, and we could see that our work was cut out for us. Not only was Thomas not socialized with people and other dogs, but he was afraid of many things, especially big men and wide-brimmed hats! After spending time with the Wells', he moved to another foster home. He was so used to being outside, that he panicked when asked to come inside. It took hours to get Thomas from the foster home's breezeway, inside the back door to the kitchen, and finally to a spot where he felt somewhat safe near the living room (where all the other animals and humans were.) Mom could pet him, but he was terrified of (but curious about) Dad. Never did Thomas show signs of fear biting, but it was frustrating to watch him accept petting from Dad one minute and express fear by barking at him the next. Obviously, he had been abused or otherwise made to fear certain people, mostly men. Patience won out, and soon Thomas began to blossom and enjoy playing with the other dogs. He was very sweet and fairly serious for such a young dog (about 14 months when first delivered to LRR). About the time Thomas was ready to be moved again, we had received the devastating news that one of our LRR adoptive families had unexpectedly lost Sammie, their 6 year yellow female LRR alumnus, to what appeared to be a heart attack while playing. While mourning Sammie, the family agreed she could best be honored by helping other labs in need. They generously offered to become a foster home with an eye toward adopting a dog and fostering a second so they would never be dogless again. We thought their first foster should be rather needy, so all family members could be involved in lots of hugging and nurturing. We also thought it was a good idea to select a dog that was very different from Sammie, so the inevitable comparisons would be limited. Thomas was the best candidate on both counts. He would make a great family project and would introduce the this family to life with a male labby. Thomas immediately took to everyone, including Dad and the two boys. It did not take him long to really begin thriving, and we enjoyed all the great foster stories. Under their patient tutelage, he began to retrieve from the lake, becoming quite the water dog. By the time they all came to the reunion picnic, we began to realize that we need not worry about looking any further for a permanent home for Thomas. Still, it was so soon after losing Sammie, that we suggested they continue to foster Thomas until everyone was comfortable and felt it was time to do the adoption. After a busy summer and a number of second foster dogs, it was finally time to make Thomas official. So, at the picnic/workshop, we were all pleased to see him officially become Thomas (Tom Tom) Martin! He still has his bouts of barking at certain people and hats, but what a difference living in an active, happy, doting home can make. Thomas is a perfect example of how the Wells' can get the rehabilitation started, but it is truly our foster homes that are our finishing schools! (And, sometimes, they just never graduate from these schools!) Sammie would be proud! This summer we received the following postcard with Thomas' picture on the front: