Stranded and Starving
This malnourished, frightened dog was stranded for months in the woods of Evans Creek National Forest in Washington this past April.
The park is a 40-mile span of forest, and though people had been trying to rescue the dog for a while, no one had been successful yet.
Wanting To Help
Amanda Guarascio, a local resident who saw a post about the dog on Lost & Found Pets WA’s Facebook page, decided to ask her friend Dylan Parkinson to help her rescue the pup.
Guarascio, an avid animal lover, set out on the mission to get the dog out of the park so he could get proper medical attention.
Unhealthy And Hungry
The mixed Pitbull was incredibly afraid of humans. He was starving and his ribs were visible, while tufts of his coat were missing.
He overall appeared to be very unhealthy and the amount of time he had left was unclear.
Trying To Feed
Guarascio and Parkinson found the dog in the same area where he was photographed for the Facebook post. But finding him wasn’t going to be the problem.
They brought food to try to reel him in, but the closest they could get to him was when he coyly reached for a piece of hotdog.
First Day Down
The two couldn’t get the dog to trust them, so they couldn’t get hold of him. They stayed at the park until 3 a.m., but had to leave due to the park’s closing time.
Not wanting to give up their mission, they agreed to come back the next day.
Food Here And There
The next day, when Guarascio and Parkinson returned, they brought bologna. While searching for the dog, they ran into some off-roaders who told the two they had sporadically fed the dog whenever they saw it wandering by.
This must have kept the dog from dying of malnutrition, but he was still in need of medical help.
Need To Leave
If the dog wasn’t going to trust a human long enough to be taken from the park, it would eventually die. It was time for Guarascio to try something else, something drastic.
It was clear that food wasn’t going to entice the dog long enough to be pulled into a truck and saved.
Playing Dead
A lot of animal lovers know that you have to use non-threatening actions around abused or abandoned dogs. You can be calm and gentle around an abused dog, and it still won’t trust you. This is sometimes the result of suffering from abuse or harsh conditions.
A few ways to show you aren’t a threat include bending down on your knees to the ground, or pretending you are injured. That is exactly what Guarascio decided to try.
Checking On Her
She lay in the fetal position on the gravel road right next to the dog, with her back to him. “He growled a little bit but eventually got close enough to smell me.
I laid in the road for about 20 minutes before he lost interest and wandered off,” Guarascio said. Still, it was progress!
Inching Backwards
The dog came back eventually to investigate. Guarascio slowly started moving her body backwards towards him, to close the distance between them.
When the dog sensed what she was doing, he became uncomfortable, so she would stop and curl up again.
Success!
Finally, after an hour of inching towards the dog, Guarascio got right up to him. “He growled a little bit, so I started whimpering and yawning, which is a calming signal, and continued to slowly get closer and closer.” Finally, they were cuddling!
She had gained his trust.
Her Protector
Making herself appear injured or in trouble had seemed to trigger the dog’s instinctual need to protect. Since Guarascio was vulnerable, the dog realized there was no threat.
It was his natural impulse to investigate and try to help the girl he saw lying on the ground.
Naming Him
Guarascio had decided to nickname the dog Bear, a name she thought of while lying on the ground waiting for him. She was able to get a leash around his neck, and took him to the truck that Parkinson was waiting in.
It was about 9 p.m.
Medical Attention
The brave duo brought Bear to the local vet’s office, where they were told he weighed 57 pounds and had developed skin and ear infections. He was treated for those infections immediately.
The plan was to keep Bear in a rescue shelter until his owner claimed him, if he ever even had an owner.
No Owner
After 30 days at the shelter, no one claimed Bear as their dog.
He was gaining strength and weight, but still appeared to be very thin and feeble.
No Past
Either Bear never had a family, or his family forgot about him. Maybe he was abused and unwanted.
Maybe he fell off of a truck traveling on the park trail. It was saddening to know that there was no way to learn about his past or know exactly what happened to him or why he ended up so close to death, alone in the forest for so long.
Finding A Foster Home
After being medically treated and fed properly, Bear managed to gain five pounds and a foster family agreed to take him in temporarily.
Making Foster Friends
He was fostered with a few other sweet pooches, so his behavior and social skills began to improve.
He was finally becoming a very healthy and happy dog.
Social Skills
Thanks to Guarascio, Bear continued to open up to humans and displayed even deeper levels of trust.
He was acting more and more like a normal dog every single day.
New And Improved
Bear’s appearance changed as well, and we aren’t just talking about his weight gain. His fur grew back full and shiny, giving him a brand new coat.
He looked like a completely different dog! He began learning basic commands at his foster home, and actually turned out to be a huge snuggler.
A Forever Home
A family, who had been wanting to bring a new pet into their home, saw Bear’s story on television and made the arrangements to pick him up.
They wanted the sweet, compassionate dog to be a part of their everyday lives.
Thank You, Amanda
This is Bear now, resting his head on the family’s sofa and dreaming of more hot dogs. He is a playful, content pup who shows nothing but love and affection to his new owners.
He has Amanda Guarascio to thank for his new life. Without her, he probably would’ve died by himself in those woods.