After being dumped and on the lam, animal control finally caught up with Snoopy, an all-white pittie around 4-years old. It took only a minute to know he was a joy. Despite having more than 100 ticks and damage to his teeth to indicate abuse, Snoopy was a happy dog who loved people. He was cleaned up, given vet care, and soon adopted. 

Without knowing what happens behind closed doors, he went to a home with verbal abuse. During a heated argument, Snoopy bit the instigator to protect his new person. Though a mild, restrained, situational bite, a returned dog’s chances are mostly nil because most shelters have zero tolerance for biting. Facing euthanasia, ARK was asked to help. 

He landed a foster home where he could decompress and “tell us” what he needed. After two bad homes, we wanted to make things right. Among other things, we learned Snoopy was perceptive and sensitive to conflict – a peace, not war type of dog. He loved routine more than you can imagine. When on a walk, he liked the same route every day and would stop walking if it was changed; at potty-time, he would only “go” in the same spot. He loved to snuggle, play, and live a quiet life on a schedule. 

Armed with information, Snoopy was put up for adoption a few months later. Applications were reviewed, interviews completed, references called, meet and greets arranged until one family seemed right. To ensure this was Snoopy’s true forever home, the adopters were counseled in depth by ARK staff, the foster, and an advocate via emails, phone calls, and in person. Snoopy’s history was explained as were his needs. Reducing the risk of problems and being transparent are ARK priorities, especially because of the population of dogs we serve. 

There are many Do’s and Don’ts in the early stages of adopting, so we provided detailed literature about adopting a rescue dog and discussed the strategies with them. Despite all this preparation, some people get complacent and others think they know best. Neither is meant to do harm, but sadly that’s what often results. One human’s small act of poor judgment can end up costing a dog his life. 

In Snoopy’s case, the adopters said they were sure they could accommodate his needs but it didn’t take long for things to go terribly wrong. Not long after adoption, the family hosted a New Year’s Eve party, a party that should never have happened knowing this dog was so sensitive to commotion, and so new to his own family let alone strangers. At the very least he should have been placed in a back room with a cozy bed, soothing music, and something to chew. So easy, right? 

Unfortunately, this gentle creature of habit was amidst a gathering of about 12+ people, music, drinking, food, balloons, the whole shebang. Around 11 p.m. something triggered Snoopy to bite a guest, severe enough to require medical attention. Dogs don’t want to bite. They give signals when uncomfortable, which Snoopy would have done all night long. 

After the incident, he went back into foster care where he showed severe agitation. He couldn’t settle down even after a few weeks back with someone he knew and a home he knew. The many changes and stressors had stacked up. He was so on edge and so reactive we felt it was unsafe to place him. Snoopy was a damaged soul. 

On Sunday January 16, 2022, Snoopy crossed the rainbow bridge. To give him some dignity, ARK provided for in-home euthanasia. Could we have done more? Perhaps. But when people say emphatically that they will do whatever the dog needs, we cannot control if they will actually do just that. Snoopy touched our hearts to the core.

May we all learn from this tragedy. 

Contact us if you would like information about properly welcoming your new rescue dog.