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g in a chained dog and needed a rescue to commit to him. One of the CVETS staff members saw Freddie chained to a post with no food or water, no shelter, and living amongst garbage. He was emaciated, suffering from mange and had severe skin infections. He was not going to survive much longer, especially with cold weather coming. Thankfully, she was able to convince his owner to surrender him to CVETS so they could treat him.
Freddie went directly to the hospital for care, and spent the next 2 weeks getting fluids, skin treatments, and multiple small meals throughout the day to help him gain strength. Because of his condition, the doctors initially believed Freddie was a senior, but after further assessment, they think he’s about 5 years old and, amazingly, heartworm negative!!
Once Freddie went into his foster home, w e discovered that he loves people and is very social and affectionate dog. As he's settled in and stabilized, he's learned to love pup companionship too. Freddie is a very sweet soul who will make the most wonderful family companion.
UPDATE (Falls Church, VA)
Freddie has gained almost 20lbs, and his gorgeous auburn coat is filling in nicely. Freddie has settled in quickly to his local foster home, and adapted well to the sights and sounds of our more urban area. He loves to go on walks more than anything, and is excited to explore the world around him. He’s still building up his muscle strength and endurance after being chained and immobile for so long, so his foster parents are easing him into exercise.
His foster parents, MK & Bryan, shared this update:
“Freddie is a cuddle bug, and he loves all humans – older kids and adults. He prefers to sleep with his head on the pillow and body under the sheets and loves to cuddle with you in bed. He loves walks, but in the house, he is a pretty low energy dog. He'll play for a little bit, but I don't think he still fully understands toys/tug-a-war/etc. He is great for someone who does not want a high-energy dog, but who enjoys going on walks and spending time at home. We love him very much, and he is just an absolute angel.”
Freddie was initally fostered with a kitty, but over time, he came to see her as a toy or something to chase, so he’s best in a NO cat home. He’s not reactive on leash to other dogs, and could be in a home with another submissive, calm dog if he has a savvy owner to manage the introduction. Still, we feel that this sweet boy would love to be an only dog, soaking up all his human’s love and attention.
FOSTER UPDATE - 8/20/19
From the years of living chained with no interaction with other dogs, Freddie didn’t know how to act around other dogs. He was never reactive to dogs on leash, as you might expect, but he got over-excited and didn’t know how to greet another dog properly. As he settled into his local foster home, he got more and more exposure to other dogs. His foster parents, MK & Bryan, take him everywhere - walks through DC, hikes on the weekend, road trips to vineyards and the beach - and with each exposure, he got more confident and curious about other dogs and saw good examples of doggie behavior.
We enlisted our favorite trainer to work with Freddie’s fosters, assess his social skills, and do some doggie meet-and-greets. While initially still excited, as the session went on, Freddie calmly watched the other dogs play. He was very interested in joining in but didn’t know how. Since then, Freddie has met a few more doggie friends out and about, but last week he had his first sleepover! MK & Bryan had previously fostered an adorable, submissive bully boy named Burt, who had the perfect temperament to introduce to Freddie. They agreed to watch Burt for his family while they traveled, which offered an ideal opportunity to test Freddie’s social progress. They did a gradual, managed introduction between the two dogs, and it went better than we’d hoped. MK shared this update:
“This is great for Freddie! He is learning how to play and copying what Burt does. We let them in the yard separately, and Freddie stood by the door the whole time waiting for Burt. Freddie is learning a new aspect of dog life and really enjoying it. After night one, Freddie was off leash with no issue, and they could be left alone downstairs to play. We took them both to play in a big yard, walked them on a leash next to each other, they shared toys and treats, and got along great! Freddie was even depressed when Burt left. While I don’t think he should be in a home with another alpha, a submissive dog like Burt who won’t react to Freddie if he tries to mount, would be a great fit. It was great experience for Freddie, and he genuinely enjoyed having a friend.”
UPDATE 2/2020
Freddie's incredible transition is complete, and we can't believe this handsome boy is still waiting for his forever home. Freddie has blossomed into a social pup who loves daily runs with his foster dad, and weekend outings around town with his foster parents. He enjoys meeting new people, has excellent house manners, and has great off-leash skills too. He's learned to enjoy the company of other dogs and has been fostered with another dog and did great. He likes to go on outings and play, but still remains a laid back, 100% cuddlebug in the home.
We love to see our pups flourish and evolve, and can't wait for Freddie to take the next step in his journey. He's ready and will make an excellent, snuggly member of your family.
MEDICAL NOTE
Freddie has had a few lumps and growths removed over the past year, including one on his eye in late March and toe in June 2020 . While they have mostly been benign plasma cell tumors, he gets them consistently, and the vets have recommended surgical removal. He is also on daily beta-blocker medicine to help regulate the amount of protein his body releases and will need regular blood tests to monitor levels and dosage.
While Freddie is a resilient, active dog, he needs an attentive owner to monitor him regularly and stay on top of his medical needs. He is most likely going to have more skin growths, and surgeries to follow. We are monitoring a few on his foot right now to see if they need to be removed. Bumps and growth removal are not uncommon to the bully breed, but they do have to be managed.
Apply today!
BREED ESTIMATE: AmStaff Mix
GENDER: Male
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: 64 lbs
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 6 to 7 years
COAT TYPE: short
ADOPTION FEE: $350
OTHER INFO: utd on shots/neutered/hw negative
LOCATION: Falls Church, VA
FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to worthydog/adopt/adoption-application/ and complete the application.
You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to foster.worthydog and fill out an application.
Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.