A Tail of Courage | Oly’s Adoption Story

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For this Tail of Hope, we had the chance to speak with Oly’s mom, Janet, to learn about Oly’s journey and how she’s courageously blossomed into her new life with her perfect forever family. 

 

Scary Beginnings In Arkansas

Oly, a shepherd and black mouth cur mix, was born on Christmas Eve 2021 in Arkansas. Her early life was likely full of uncertainty and experiences that might induce fear in any young pup.

At just two months old, she and her siblings were found in a trailer park. Fortunately, AR Network Improving Animal Life saved them from their then-unknown fate. Shortly after, Hopeful Tails arranged a transport to bring Oly and other Arkansas pups up north. 

It didn’t take long for the Hopeful Tails crew to experience how friendly, gentle, and affectionate she was. But with such a tumultuous start to her life, Oly was understandably shaken up. Terrified of new things like meeting new people, walking outside, and loud noises, she needed someone patient and experienced to guide her on her journey to healing.

Oly was brought into a loving foster home with an experienced Hopeful Tails volunteer. There, she opened up a bit more and finally got to experience what life in a home felt like. 

While life in foster was good, Oly was still looking for her forever family. Fortunately, she would soon meet them!

 

A Hopeful and Patient Family

Janet was familiar with Hopeful Tails Animal Rescue and decided that she and her husband were ready to welcome a new furry family member into their life. Their beloved dog, Lucy, had crossed the rainbow bridge a couple of months prior, and they missed her terribly. 

Wanting a new dog to brighten up their home once more, Janet looked at Hopeful Tails’ adoptable adult dogs. She found Oly and scheduled a visit. That visit turned into several more over the course of three weeks. Oly was quite skittish and needed time to become comfortable around Janet. Brushing her fur, she found, was an excellent conduit for comfort.

“I knew the first day that she was part of our family. I just had to wait until she was comfortable with me,” Janet says. 

Oly’s Gotcha Day was April 1, 2023, after having been at Hopeful Tails for over a year!

 

A New, Confident Lease On Life

Fast forward to today, Oly’s fear has drastically lessened, and she is living a much more comfortable life. Janet credits a trainer they partnered with at Boughton Animal Clinic for helping her and her husband recognize and handle Oly’s emotions.

With lots of patience and love, Oly has grown into a more confident and playful young dog. Some of Janet’s favorite qualities about Oly are that she is brilliant with puzzle toys, loves to give kisses, runs around the yard, is responsive to commands, is good at tracking, and is very sweet. “She is perfect,” Janet emphasizes.

As her personality blossomed, Oly became best friends across the fence with her next-door neighbor, Ellie. In fact, if Ellie’s parents don’t bring her over to her house, Oly will sit with her back to them and refuse to engage. 

Ellie isn’t the only thing outside that Oly has come to love – squirrels, bunnies, and chipmunks leave their scent in her yard, and she just can’t help but track them. If her tracking doesn’t produce anything good, she’ll come inside and execute her attack on one of her stuffed animals. 

“She likes doing things for treats and will remind me if I forget to give her one after she goes out to do her business,” says Janet. Whether it’s treats after her time outside or inside with puzzle toys, Oly is headstrong in getting what she knows she’s owed. 

When it’s time to wind down, Oly enjoys sophisticated pursuits like being read stories by her mom from a good book; she’ll snuggle up right next to her, listening intently. 

New things aren’t as scary for Oly these days. As long as they aren’t noisy, she willingly tries them out. She’s made incredible progress transforming from a scared pup to a courageous dog! 

 

Life Is Better With a Dog

Janet believes life is simply better with a dog – “Especially one as perfect as Oly,” she notes. Oly is great company for her and her husband since their kids are grown, and she keeps them busy. 

When it comes to advice Janet has for people who are considering adopting a dog, she shared this tidbit: “Think about what type of dog will fit into your family and schedule. I knew a puppy was too much for me and wanted an adult dog.” 

 

If you are interested in adopting a Hopeful Tails dog, please visit our adoption page for more information or email hopefultailsadoptions@outlook.com.