adoption & rescue
Slowly, she began to unravel. She was constantly on edge, and the shelter environment was simply not working for her. We put out urgent pleas to get her into foster. A sensible and experienced couple who had fostered for us before stepped in. We hoped that once out of the shelter, she would return to her playful self with other dogs. Sadly, that wasn’ t the case.
Bonnie was triggered by birds, motorcycles, and other dogs. Being incredibly smart, she quickly learned exactly where those triggers were on her daily walks – the cat on the ledge, the dog behind the gate, the corner where motorcycles roared past. She anticipated everything.
When her fosters, Andrea and Shane, had to emigrate to Austria for work, we were devastated at the thought of her returning to the shelter – they had made progress with her. An alternative home was tried, but Bonnie made it clear she was not going to be okay with the resident dogs. Back she came to the shelter – to what felt like her worst nightmare. off, and certain dogs triggered barking and lunging, but baby steps were happening.
Then, heartbreak again. Her new foster mom needed to move, and Bonnie was once more searching for safety.
We posted about her countless times, hoping for the right match. A promising home was lined up, but just before introductions, that adopter took in another rescue who had urgently needed help. During an assessment walk with certified behaviourist Kirsty McColough, it became clear that the new dog’ s signals were not ideal for Bonnie. The new dog needed time to settle, and it was clear to all that the match was not the right one and could undo all that had been achieved with Bonnie.
And then, the most unexpected turn of all.
In all this time, her original foster mom had been making a point of visiting Bonnie whenever she returned to SA on holiday. Bonnie would sit and wait for her to arrive. When she left, Bonnie would pine for her.
So imagine our surprise when we received the message: Andrea and Shane wanted to officially adopt her – and fly her to Austria.
One thing Bonnie had always excelled at was apartment living. She was calm and peaceful in that setting. It suited her, so going to an apartment in Austria was entirely doable.
Now Bonnie is in Austria – a changed dog. She is playing with other dogs again. She’ s gone from being a dog they felt they could never take anywhere, to sitting at coffee shops and calmly meeting dogs both on- and off-leash at dog parks. She has found her rhythm, her confidence and, most importantly, her people. And the best news of all: she has been officially adopted by Andrea and Shane.
All Bonnie ever needed was incredibly special humans who refused to give up on her. And they didn’ t.
Her former foster mom stayed closely involved, receiving regular updates. It was a hard time for all involved. When Andrea suggested her mother, Janine, try fostering Bonnie, we were cautiously optimistic. Thankfully, her mom was just as sensible and savvy. Slow, careful introductions to her elderly Lab mix went beautifully. Bonnie bonded deeply – they even ended up sleeping on the bed together.
We brought in a dog walker called Thomas to continue building her confidence. It wasn’ t easy; motorcycles still set her
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