You can see QT's upside down heart on her tongue in this picture. We don't have very many good shots because she's a bit shy with cameras.
This week, after several weeks of limping on and off, we took QT to two vets who both said she would need ACL surgery soon.
Because QT is a foster dog, the Humane Society has been helping us get her in to see specialists and general practitioners who can help - at no charge to us. But this surgery is very expensive. Probably at least $2,200 with a serious discount for the Humane Society.
So, I will be selling some super cool necklaces - and selling them for good prices - to try to raise money for QT's surgery. 100% of the money will go to her surgery and follow up medical care.
I will begin posting photos of the necklaces and earrings very soon, along with some nice ones of QT. Feel free to ask anything you want about her.
This is QT when she arrived at the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia back in June. Her eyes look so stressed and frightened. Rick Aiken, the President of the Humane Society, says QT would huddle at one corner of her kennel, trying to get as far away from you as possible. She would allow staffers to touch her, but would hold her body rigid and tense. Just being close to humans almost immobilized her with fear. When she moved, it was in a low crawl, with her head almost touching the floor.
Once her babies were given medical care and adopted, Aiken and the shelter staff realized QT was going to need a lot of TLC and one-on-one work.
So, they contacted Angie Woods, a dog behaviorist known as "Atlanta's Dog Whisperer." She agreed to take QT into her pack of healthy, balanced dogs and work with her at no charge. People bring dogs to Woods' facility - called U.S. Canine - from all over the Southeast - some with minor behavioral issues, some with major problems like aggression and biting. Her website is www.uscanine.com, in case you're curious.
Woods has an ability to instantly connect with animals and understand where they're coming from and why they're behaving the way they are. She could see that QT was fearful and skittish, but not at all aggressive. QT immediately took to Angie's pack of dogs - some of them hers, some of them clients' dogs she's working with. And, by watching the pack interact with Woods and her staff, QT slowly began to learn it was okay to trust humans, that they would not hurt her. This was really a huge step for her after so many years fending for herself and trying to steer clear of strangers.
In the fall of 2010, Angie Woods felt QT was ready to move on and live in a real house, with real people. Woods' only requirement was that QT go to a home with at least one other dog, since she's much more a dog's dog than a people dog.
That's how she ended up with us. We'd been looking for a dog we could foster and, hopefully, help. When we first went to pick her up, I felt a little overwhelmed. She was huddled close to the ground, stooped over in fear. The smallest sounds made her jump and little things, like passing through a doorway or getting in and out of the car, almost paralyzed her with fear. It felt like we were taking on a lot, but she was so sweet and gentle and hungry for affection, I knew she had a huge heart.
This is QT. A mighty fine looking lady, no? Check out the upside down heart on her tongue. This is just one of the many cool things about this handsome girl.
QT is a 3 or 4 year old Chow-maybe Golden-maybe Shepherd mix. She got her nickname because she lived in the woods outside a QT gas station in Gainesville, GA for a couple of years. She became a Hall County legend. Many, many people tried to catch her and rescue her, but she was too fast. They tried tempting her with treats. They sweet-talked her. They fed her hot-dogs and cheese nachos and other convenience store treats. But QT was wary, and she wouldn't take the bait.
Finally, after giving birth to a litter of puppies she built a warren to protect, QT allowed a man who used to walk through the woods each day to slowly approach her. Each day, he spent hours just sitting and softly talking to her. Finally, after weeks of this, the man was able to build trust with QT. She allowed him to slowly come closer and closer. That's when the man realized QT was raising her puppies out in the cold, harsh elements and they needed help.
With his help, in June of 2010, the Humane Society of Hall County and Northeast Georgia was finally able to catch QT. She'd been surviving on her own for at least 2 years. The puppies were given medical care and vaccinations, spayed and neutered, and were adopted by local families. But QT was terrified of people, and she needed someone who could help her learn to live in the human world. That's where we came in.
