The past three weeks have been a rollercoaster for sweet Wonder, the 10-month-old, abandoned dog I found running around my neighborhood while walking my dog Max on March 8th. But I have happy news to share!
Wonder is now safe with an experienced foster (my neighbor!) and is part of Every Last One Rescue, a new but mighty rescue based in NYC.
I had taken Wonder in for a week beginning March 13th, helping him decompress and get through his neuter on 3/19. Once he realized he was safe and not being moved again, his progress was staggering. He already loved dogs, strangers, and saying hi to kids on the street and in the elevators of my building, but he truly flourished in the home.
That progress took a major hit when his next foster, who was supposed to take him for two weeks so NYC ACC and I could get him placed with a partner rescue, returned him to me on day 1, unable to cope with Wonder’s separation anxiety after all. With Wonder’s anxiety now through the roof and a ticking clock to pick up my own (reactive) dog Max from boarding in CT, I spent 48 hours frantically calling shelters and rescues in NY, NJ, CT, and MA, trying to find a safe place for him to land.
The issue: Rescues and shelters everywhere are completely overwhelmed and packed with abandoned dogs. Most ACC-affiliated rescues or shelters I was able to reach couldn’t take Wonder without him being an ACC shelter dog. And though I had strong leads with PAWS in CT and Every Last One Rescue, neither could take him on such short notice. To make things harder, a trusted trainer said his anxiety levels meant a kennel-based situation would be safer for him than another new foster.
I made the very difficult decision to bring Wonder to NYC ACC in Manhattan on Friday since they had been part of his case since March 9th and were actively trying to get him placed with a rescue. But that reasoning didn’t make it any easier to leave him somewhere I knew would be overwhelming and stressful for an already traumatized dog. And, as a kill shelter, it was also potentially dangerous.
I spent every minute from Friday through Tuesday working to get Wonder out of there. I checked in with ACC on Wonder’s progress every day and shared honest stories about his stress in the packed shelter online. His story was amplified by my amazing community all over the country and people I had never even met before were doing everything they could to get Wonder out of ACC.
That’s when my neighbor Leif, who had met Wonder and was invested in his care, offered to be his long-term foster to get him out of the shelter. As the previous owner of a rescue pittie, Leif had the experience and patience to be a safe place for Wonder.
With a vetted foster in place, Every Last One Rescue was able to get Wonder out of Manhattan ACC on Wednesday morning, into his foster home, and en route to his forever home.
The sigh of relief that left my body when Wonder was officially taken out of ACC by Every Last One Rescue was like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life.
Watch Mandy from Every Last One Rescue meeting Wonder on the street outside ACC here.
While Wonder has a long road of decompression and training for his separation anxiety ahead, he is now getting the rest and care he needs to get into his forever home. I can confidently say he feels pretty great about that.
Now, Every Last One Rescue has taken over his care and is leading the charge on Wonder’s journey to his forever home!
I couldn’t have gotten through these past three weeks without the support of my community, rescue dog advocates, and trainers who guided me along the way. Grateful for you all!
A donation to Every Last One has, despite its having no slot (that I could find!) for a such a dedication, been made in honor of you and Wonder. All I can say is, Well done.
Love, Nonny.