Shares on Facebook matter! Tonka’s adoption story began with just that. 

 

Meet Michelle. She came across Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue because one of her Facebook friends shared a post and it showed up on her news feed. The post was asking for a donation for a dog in a sad situation and she donated and it all started from there!

 

Michelle’s family has a 14 year old female dog, Illy and an 8 year old female dog, Isis, who are very bonded. They wanted to adopt a companion for Isis so she wouldn't be alone after Illy eventually passes. Michelle wanted the new dog to have a chance to bond with Isis before that happened. Michelle’s family had been interested in a few dogs, but Isis is dog selective and she was not a fan of the puppies getting in her face and not paying attention to her body language when she needed space. They knew Isis would need a dog that was more relaxed so they kept their eyes glued to SSR page for new dogs. 

 

Tonka popped up right after she was rescued and Michelle just said, “That's our dog”.  Tonka was basically a raw red lump with ears. Michelle said there was something about the look on her face and her ears that drew them in. They heard from the foster that Tonka seemed mild mannered - more on the calm side. They knew Isis would have to meet Tonka to see how they would get along. By this point, Michelle’s daughter already renamed Tonka to Bella, because she thought Bella was so beautiful, raw skin and all. Tonka aka “Bella ‘s” foster mom met them halfway between their houses at a dog park for the meet and greet. When the family saw Bella, their heart soared. She was in an oversized doggy coat because her fur was still so patchy from the mange recovery. She was velcroed to her foster mom and you could tell she was nervous, but she was still interested in everything and everyone. Their dog Isis sniffed her and walked away. From that point they knew they wanted her. The dogs got along, they fell in love - and they were approved!

 

The first 6 days after bringing Bella home were a little tough. They worked on acclimating Isis to having a new dog in the pack - that was pretty much their only real concern. Isis did better than expected - after 6 days Bella and Isis were best friends. They now spend all morning wrestling, inside the house and out. They walk beautifully together. They share their beds and chew toys. It's everything they could have asked for!

 

Bella has brought pure joy to Michelle and her family. She is a silly, loving, velcro dog. She has brought an energy and playfulness to their family. Michelle explained “No matter how bad my day is going, if I lie down on the floor, Bella will get up from wherever she is, walk over to me, lick my face, and lie down next to me. It's the best therapy in the world. She makes us laugh every day”.