Neglected dog Nero finds a new home, still faces long road to recovery
A Calgary woman is hoping to adopt Nero, the 12-year-old German Shepherd whose incessant barking we first told you about last fall.
Katherine Mitsch says she was touched by Nero's story and wanted to offer him a happy and comfortable life for his remaining years.
"Given his history, perhaps personality issues, and then just the fact that he was a senior dog, I was just worried that he wouldn't be given a fair opportunity to find a home," Mitsch said.
Mitsch reached out to the animal rescue agency, Heaven Can Wait, where Nero had been staying since November. Nero's owners surrender the dog to the Calgary Humane Society at the end of October.
The agency's owner, Kim Hessel, says Nero has made huge progress in just a few short months.
"From a dog that spent so much of his life being isolated and not allowed to have a lot of human contact and certainly animal to animal contact, it's pretty amazing he is where he is," Hessel said.
She says it will take a special person to adopt Nero. And believes Mitsch is that person.
Bite worse than bark
Mitsch has adopted other rescues, including another German Shepard, and has fostered animals for years.
She's been taking care of Nero for a few weeks now, to test out their compatibility.
But when CBC dropped by to do an interview. Nero's bite turned out to be worse than his bark — he bit the cameraman's leg. Twice.
"I was surprised because he hadn't been doing much barking at all so it was a shock," said Mitsch.
No stitches were required. And the cameraman is fine.
But it was a lesson to Mitsch that she needs to pay more attention to Nero's body language, and her gut feeling.
"I knew that he was panicking and instead of just shutting it down and giving him time and space, he comes out the door and boom there's two strangers there," she said.
Leadership is key for owners
But Hessel says Mitsch won't be alone in her journey — the agency will continue to work with her, providing dog training and advice.
"Any dog that's a little more edgy, a little more difficult or a little bit more like Nero who's had nothing — those aren't ones that we say 'here you go, you are on your own,'" said Hessel. "We're to help."
And before any papers are signed, Hessel says the trainer will assess whether Mitsch can properly control Nero.
"Leadership is a big, big part of owning any dog and working with a dog," said Hessel. "Working with a dog that has had such limitations as Nero, it's even more important to step up to the plate."
Normally the adoption process takes two to three weeks but Hessel says because of Nero's issues, they expect the process to take longer.
