Derek A1250979 @ WLA : his angel needs a little help...

Derek, a scared but sweet boy who needs your help!

This story is written by a woman who wants to help Derek but needs a rescue to pull him out of the shelter and assist in finding a permanent home. Derek is a sweet but very scared dog that isn't doing well in the shelter. Please help!

A1250979

 "My temporary name is Derek.  I am a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix, approximately 7 years old, and have been at the WLA Animal Shelter since September 18, 2011. 

For over 90 days I have been in the same kennel – across from the cat room -- hiding as far in the corner of the bedding cave as possible.  Around my 80thday of hiding in my kennel cave, a lady came to find her lost cat and stopped to see my picture on the front of my kennel.  Every few days she comes back to talk to me but I am too terrified to come out and meet her.  The noise in this shelter gives me anxiety and I am too scarred to find out what is going on around me.  Therefore, I just stay in my cave, hide from the noise, and stay invisible from all the people going by. 

 

So far it’s been working and aside from this lady no one ever sees me.  Near my kennel are two gates that slam all day long, which also frightens me.The woman who took an interest in me decided to bring some roast beef to see if she could get me to come out of my hiding place.  She throws the meat into my kennel, close to the bedding area, but I will only come out when she is not looking.  One of the shelter staff persons decided to help the lady get a look at me and came behind my kennel.  When I hear a staff person behind my kennel I know I have to get out.  When the lady saw me come out of the cave I tried to run back in and the gate hit me in nose.  I just curled up in the corner of the concrete run, closest to my cave, and trembled until she told the shelter man to open the gate and let me back into my hiding place.

One day, after many visits, another Shelter staff man decided to take me to the visiting area to meet the lady.  It was my first time out in the sunshine in over two months!  I was well behaved and did not pull on the rope leash or misbehave in any way.  The Shelter man noticed many good things about me and thought I would be a very nice dog who could live in an apartment with cats.  He made this assessment based on seeing me interact with a very small dog next to the visiting area.  I went up to smell he little dog and I did not display any aggression towards him.  I jumped up on the park bench and let everyone pet me.  I looked all around with interest through the fence to the parking area.  

Perhaps someone I know will come back to get me but I’m losing hope and am now very depressed, losing my desire to eat from constantly being scared.The next day the lady came again and they took me back to the visiting area.  Again, I was alert and well behaved but after a few minutes I had to go back to my hiding place.  The lady noticed that I have pressure sores on my elbows from laying on the concrete in my kennel, so she bought me a nice bed from Costco and makes sure that I still have my bed every time she comes to visit.The lady's husband is not sure that someone big like me should live in an apartment. 

I just wish someone would take me out of this shelter to some place quiet where I could heal emotionally.  I am so very scared at the shelter and too afraid to try and make friends.  I just want to be someplace warm and quiet with someone who will try and find out what a nice dog I am.Will someone please help me get out of here?"

by  BY JOAN STANDAFER

West LA City Shelter  310-207-3266  Tues-Sat 8-5,  Sun 11-5 

11361 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 

Contact: Samantha Westbrook, NEW HOPE COORDINATOR

213-485-0494 / CELL  213-792-5811  aninewhopewla@lacity.org.