🩷RESCUED🩷 Day 23: Kiara I say this all the time… Stop judging dogs based on their shelter behavior. Shelter behavior does not always equal a dog’s true personality. And Kiara is the perfect example of that. When Kiara first arrived at the shelter, she had no behavior concerns. After spending weeks in a kennel, the stress has started to wear on her. Inside of her kennel, Kiara has become mouthy and has nipped at staff members’ hands while they’re trying to put on or remove her leash. She has not caused an actual bite, but it has made getting her in and out of her kennel safely more difficult. But when I took Kiara outside, I saw the dog I wish everyone could meet. She sat quietly while I took her leash off and put it back on. She walked right next to me on the leash, never pulling or walking too far from me. In the yard, she crawled into my lap, nudged my hand for pets, sat for treats, and would just stare at me longingly with the saddest, most hopeful puppy dog eyes. She’s gentle. She’s submissive. She’s affectionate. She’s everything you’d want in a companion. Sometimes the kennel is the hardest place for a dog to show their best self. The constant noise, confinement, stress, and lack of control can bring out behaviors that may never appear in a home environment. Kiara is not the dog struggling in her kennel. She’s the dog who deserves the chance to be seen. Kiara is estimated to be about four years old. She’s short and squatty and 50 pounds of absolute deliciousness. She’s spayed, but she is heartworm positive. Because of her behaviors in the kennel, she is only available to 501c3, licensed rescue groups and has a deadline of Saturday, August 8th. She has not been formally dog tested, but she did arrive with another dog and seemed unbothered by the ones we saw out on our walk. (We’d be happy to dog test her for interested rescues.) The saddest part of shelter work is knowing how many amazing dogs never get the chance to show who they really are. The dog you meet in a shelter is often the dog just trying to survive. The dog you meet when they finally feel safe is the dog they’ve been all along. Kiara is still in there. She just needs someone to give her the chance to come back out. 📍Hall County Animal Shelter 1688 Barber Rd. Gainesville, GA 30507 678-450-1587 #dogsoftiktok #shelterdog #rescuedog #fosteringsaveslives #urgent - @boneshugsandharmony