Living as a stray in a shelter is a period of wishing for a forever family.
Getting adopted is a life-changing moment for shelter animals. Of course, just because they’ve been adopted, doesn’t mean that their previous life as a stray hasn’t left its mark on them.
Being a stray comes with its own amount of trauma. When we adopted our dog, it was clear afterward that she had a few issues to work through – probably residual issues from her previous life on the streets.
One adorable little chihuahua was no exception. This tiny, pint-sized pooch was adopted by Lee Asher from an SPCA in the Sacramento area.
The little dog was very aggressive, in fact, he had to be separated from the dog companion he’d been picked up with, but that was most likely because he was scared.
When Lee adopted the chihuahua named Kai, he wasn’t too worried about the small pooch’s reactions. He had a feeling that Kai would come around with a little bit of love in his life.And he was right!
After spending a few days getting acclimated to his new home with his new doggie friends, Kai started to come out of his shell. He began to change, showing that he wasn’t as violent as first assumed. In fact, within a week Kai was a whole new dog!
Watch the video below:
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
