Walking into Broader Horizons

Last week, two of our animals went for their first walks in years. Since I came to the sanctuary, as with most new volunteers, I've fallen in love with Amadeus. He's a lovable guy who's especially affectionate with females. His two penmates, Shauney and Wapahnee, are very low-content, low-maitenence girls who love to go for walks. Amadeus, on the other hand, up until recently, was scared to death of collars.

This fear is two fold. In Amadeus's original home, instead of giving him a collar, they simply wrapped part of the three foot chain around his neck. As he grew larger, it became embedded in his skin and had to be surgically removed when he was rescued. Also, Amadeus has a tendency toward ear infections. In his original time at the sanctuary, the only time he went for walks was when they led to transport to the vet. These two situations have caused him to be very shy toward collars.

For weeks, I tried to get Amadeus accustomed to various collars as well as attempting a harness. Other volunteers and staffmembers also attempted this process, however, to no avail. Eventually, when it came time to move the Seal Beach pack (as the threesome has come to be known) we had to use more forceful methods.

Gary and myself, along with the assistance of our two volunteers, James and Hallie, ended up cornering Amadeus to put the collar on. As expected, Amadeus was nervous and fearful. As Gary tried to put the collar on, Amadeus snapped and growled and cowered into my arms. As eh became completely submissive, I was able to easily slip the collar around his neck. As we led Amadeus outside of the enclosure, he was at first nervous. Once outside, however, it was though he realized, "Hey, this is okay!" The rest of Amadeus's walk was an adventure for him, and since then, this wonderful guy has been on four other walks, each becoming progressively easier and more enjoyable...

Gaia, another low-content animal, had never been on a leash before. Previous attempts had been made, however, she always became too frightened. Recently, after Gary made an attempt, I was able to walk right in, and as she rolled onto her back submissively, slip the collar over her head. Once on the leash, Gaia became nervous and didn't know what to do. We took two steps out of the enclosure, and then she decided to go back in. After walking around inside some more, we tried leaving again, and this time, Gaia became braver, and we suceeded in going for a walk, followed later in the week by two more.

Leyton's response when we brought Gaia to the office was classic. "Gaia? Oh Gaia!" Followed by much love and affection.

I can't express how fulfilling it is to make these advancements in the life of an animal here. When an animal puts their trust in you, allows you to do something to them that frightens them, and they then realize that it is for their sake, you cannot help but swell with pride and more love for them. Walking Amadeus had always been a dream for me. Those first few steps out of the enclosure made me feel as though, if for no other reason, my time here and the relationships i've built with these animals have been worth it.