@pawsand.hearts.rescue: Pavlova has come so far. It will be such a shame if she doesn’t make it out. Sometimes, when the behavior team recognizes that a dog needs more socialization, they’ll bring them to playgroup muzzled. It’s not beneficial for every dog, so it doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it can be incredibly special to watch a dog bloom. I was very skeptical of Pavlova. She came to playgroup muzzled, and her body language was INTENSE. Always on edge, always stiff. And not just in an uncomfortable way. We genuinely couldn’t tell what her intentions were. The muzzle stayed on for weeks. Her body language didn’t change much, but week after week, we watched her make good decision after good decision. And then they took the muzzle off. I was skeptical. But that quickly faded as I watched her become a star. Interacting beautifully with other dogs. Tolerating annoying behavior. Engaging in healthy interactions. Actually ENJOYING play. She became everyone’s favorite, and we were so proud of how far she’d come. But a few weeks ago, we noticed her declining. Her tolerance decreased, and she slowly became more selective. She was experiencing kennel stress. Watching a dog go from muzzled, to playgroup star, to no longer enjoying it is heartbreaking. That’s what kennel stress does. It destroys what little joy shelter dogs have and takes away the moments when they get to feel like normal dogs. And now she’s urgent. To my knowledge, she hasn’t had a single meet and greet. No one is asking about her. I worried this would happen, and here we are. To be clear, Pavlova could absolutely do well with other dogs in the home. But she NEEDS to be separated for AT LEAST two weeks before beginning very slow introductions. Without that, you’re setting her up for failure. My biggest fear is that someone rushes introductions, a scuffle happens, and she gets labeled as not dog-friendly. Pavlova needs time. She’s around 6 years old, 52 pounds, spayed, heartworm negative, and incredibly loving with people. Please don’t let today be her last. DeKalb County Animal Services 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road Chamblee, GA 6PM DEADLINE TODAY

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Monday 02 November 2026 14:49:21 GMT