When Rue came to the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) in October 2021, she could barely look at anyone. For weeks, the four-year-old American pitbull terrier mix remained curled up in the corner, averting eye contact, and avoiding all human interactions. The more staff and volunteers tried to engage with her, the tighter she curled up against the wall, even staying in that position overnight.
One of the shelter’s more difficult cases, Rue was rescued by the Seattle Police Department from a hotel room, where she was found penned in her own waste alongside several other dogs. Her companions were covered in scars consistent with dog fighting. While SAS’s medical examination showed Rue to be physically well, her emotional scars ran deep.
“If you looked at her, moved towards her—even to just place a food bowl down—she would curl up tighter or push herself even further against the wall,” said SAS’s lead behaviorist Kimberlee Spicer. “We would attempt to take her out on walks, but she did not want to move. If we needed to get her out to clean her kennel, she would walk with a tense body—tail tucked, ears back, closed tight mouth, and pupils dilated.”
Kimberlee explained that Rue was exhibiting behaviors consistent with a condition known as learned helplessness, which can develop when a dog is repeatedly frightened or abused and learns to shut down, believing they have no control.
SAS’s behavior team immediately stepped in to help, starting by moving Rue out of her kennel and into a quieter shared office space. Typically, a behavior training session consists of walks, treats, and lively positive reinforcement. For Rue, the trainer would come into the office, sit down at a comfortable distance, read to her for several minutes, drop a tasty treat on the floor, and then slip back out.
Progress was slow and steady. Rue would not eat in front of anyone (a significant show of trust for a dog) or move from her corner, even to go to the bathroom. But around a month into the behavior program after constant and consistent support, Rue began improving, moving about the office space, taking a treat from an outstretched palm, and allowing the staff and volunteers to take her on brief walks around the parking lot.
Finally, Rue was taken in by an amazing foster family. Her foster parents, Krista and Andrew, were endlessly patient with her, allowing her the time, space, and praise to learn to be a normal dog again. They worked with Rue on house training, leash training, being around people, exploring the yard. They also exposed her to different people and rooms in the home, sounds and textures.
Rue especially benefited from being around her foster brothers and sisters. While she was hesitant to seek out interactions with them, she was observant, watching how the other dogs behaved and slowly mirroring their behaviors.
After two and a half months in foster, Rue was adopted on February 9, 2022. Some animals will backtrack when they are adopted, but Rue leaped forward. Less than a week after her adoption, she was eating in the kitchen (not in her crate), sleeping on a dog bed in an open room, and spending time with her new family in the open living spaces. Like her namesake, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she was courageous.
Her new favorite activities are performing zoomies and leaping over the small stream in her backyard; taking car rides with her little head out the back window; and eating vanilla ice cream from Salt & Straw with her big brother, Spike, another SAS rescue.
“Our goal was to get Rue’s little tail to wag, even just once, by her 1-year ‘Gotcha Day’ (adoption) anniversary,” said Shannon Ryan, her adoptive mom. “I am happy to report that Rue’s little tail now wags daily, and it makes my heart so happy every time I see it.”
Successes like this would not be possible without the continued generosity of SASF donors, who provide support for programs such as dog behavior training and the vet clinic. If you are interested in supporting the important work SAS does in getting animals to their forever homes, consider joining the annual Furry 5K. Held at Seward Park on June 12, 2022, the proceeds from this fun walk/run go directly to the Help the Animals Fund at the Seattle Animal Shelter, which supports medical care for pets in need.
