Petrified Caterina (AKA Massimo & AKA Bishop!!!)
Ditty Dats & Dogs Rescue
Meet "Massimo". He is a young sheltie/collie mix boy that is currently at a high- kill shelter. His name was Bishop, but he has been renamed "Massimo"! He was brought into the shelter by Animal Control as a stray on a catch pole. He was scheduled to be euthanized on May 20th, but the shelter manager just didn't have the heart to put him down, so she gave him one more week to find a home. Unfortunately for Massimo, he is living in terror at the shelter and will not come out of his dog igloo. This makes him highly unadoptable. So yet again, Massimo was scheduled to be euthanized - this time on May 27th. The Director of Ditty Dats & Dogs Rescue received a Behavior Assessment of Massimo which brought her to tears. Here is his assessment: I really think that he is more shy and afraid rather than mean and aggressive-I never got to hold him but did get to pet him- I got in the kennel- and Cathy and I took the lid off of the igloo and were both petting him on his head and back- he never growled- just crouched in the corner – smashed against the fence- would never eat a treat that we tried to give- but not mean at all- what I really think needs to happen is to find someone to take him home and foster him- he is so afraid that he can’t relax enough to even let you get closer than a half arm length- I would take the lid off of the igloo everyday and have as mush human contact as possible- he has no social skills and was dragged into the shelter on that pole around his neck- he is just terrified- I really do not think he is aggressive- he is a very sweet dog and those eyes just tell you that his life has not been good- I know fosters are probably not easy to come by- and even if you can get him to the foster home- he might soend weeks in the corner or under a bed- but I would save him- he is a nice dog from what I can tell- and I am no behavioral professional- but…. It will just take someone with some patience and is not bothered by the fact that he might stay under the bed with no contact for weeks….. really hope you can save him. The shelter manager also advised that Massimo will urinate and defecate all over himself if you try to pick him up. He is totally petrified and it is totally heartbreaking to think about the horrors that this boy has endured in his young life. Massimo is so deserving of a place to live and recover from his emotional trauma. He needs to go to a place where he feels safe. So, Massimo is being transported to Ditty Dats & Dogs Rescue on June 7th so that he can learn to trust people again and start living the good life in a home. |
06/08/2008 7:30PM : She's finally eating and drinking - YAY!!! She also hasn't
gone potty in the house yet - YAY!!! She holds it till I pick her up and take her
outside. Although I have to leave her outside by herself, because she just tries
to hide in the grass when I'm out there with her. Thankfully she only
pooped/peed on me once - when I picked her up from the transport! Now she's
able to hold it when I pick her up. I was real worried that she'd just let 'er rip
everytime I had to pick her up!!! Because that's the only way to get her outside.
I don't think she's ever been on a leash before. Did I mention that she's damn
cute? :-)
06/07/2008 8:00PM : Massimo has arrived! YAY!!! Surprise, surprise though -
Massimo is a GIRL!!! Hmmm... how did the shelter make that mistake? LOL.
She is totally scared and wouldn't go for a walk, she just crouched down in the
grass trying to blend in to become invisible. It's going to take a while to get this
girl to trust people again. She also had a little bit of bloody diarrhea that I'm
concerned about.
05/30/2008 8:00PM : I've decided that Bishop needs a new name. As I'm a fan
of Italian names, I have decided that he should be called "MASSIMO". Massimo
means "greatest". He is definitely destined for great things, so the name is very
fitting! I'm very excited about adding a new Italian cutie to my pack. I already
have 2 Italian Cats - Gianni & Morelli and 1 Italian Dog - Sophia!!! Massimo
should fit right in!
05/29/2008 10:50PM : Bishop was taken to the vet today to get his rabies
vaccination and be tested for heartworm. Thankfully this little boy has luck on
his side - he was heartworm NEGATIVE!!!! Yay!!!!! I am looking forward to
meeting him next Saturday when he arrives.
gone potty in the house yet - YAY!!! She holds it till I pick her up and take her
outside. Although I have to leave her outside by herself, because she just tries
to hide in the grass when I'm out there with her. Thankfully she only
pooped/peed on me once - when I picked her up from the transport! Now she's
able to hold it when I pick her up. I was real worried that she'd just let 'er rip
everytime I had to pick her up!!! Because that's the only way to get her outside.
I don't think she's ever been on a leash before. Did I mention that she's damn
cute? :-)
06/07/2008 8:00PM : Massimo has arrived! YAY!!! Surprise, surprise though -
Massimo is a GIRL!!! Hmmm... how did the shelter make that mistake? LOL.
She is totally scared and wouldn't go for a walk, she just crouched down in the
grass trying to blend in to become invisible. It's going to take a while to get this
girl to trust people again. She also had a little bit of bloody diarrhea that I'm
concerned about.
05/30/2008 8:00PM : I've decided that Bishop needs a new name. As I'm a fan
of Italian names, I have decided that he should be called "MASSIMO". Massimo
means "greatest". He is definitely destined for great things, so the name is very
fitting! I'm very excited about adding a new Italian cutie to my pack. I already
have 2 Italian Cats - Gianni & Morelli and 1 Italian Dog - Sophia!!! Massimo
should fit right in!
05/29/2008 10:50PM : Bishop was taken to the vet today to get his rabies
vaccination and be tested for heartworm. Thankfully this little boy has luck on
his side - he was heartworm NEGATIVE!!!! Yay!!!!! I am looking forward to
meeting him next Saturday when he arrives.
 |
 |
| MASSIMO HAS ARRIVED -- NEW VIDEO!!! |
06/17/2008 1:30PM : It's basically one step forward and twenty steps back!
Today she actually volunteered to WALK out of the crate, went about 6 steps
then fell to the ground in the hopes of becoming invisible! Progress since she
never walks out of the crate. Then when I brought her back inside, she ran to
the corner and tried to hide. So, I got some cheese and brought Mufasah,
Cookie, Sophia and Prissy over there next to her. I started breaking off pieces
of the cheese and feeding it to my crew. She became pretty interested in what
all the commotion was about. So I tossed her a piece and she actually ate it!
She has decided that she likes cheese! After that she walked about 5 steps
back towards the crate then fell to the floor again to become invisible. I wonder
if she realizes yet that she's NOT invisible? :-) I think I'm going to keep working
with her on the treats with my crew around. They seem to make her more
comfortable. I'd love to get her outside and take her running. I think she'd get
rid of a lot of her negative pent up energy if I ran the crap out of her! LOL I may
try that next week. Baby steps - I don't want to push her too much too fast.
06/11/2008 2:00PM : Okay, so I'm of the opinion that this dog has two things
going on with her. One, I think that she's feral. It's very obvious that she hasn't
been socialized with people. She acts just like a feral cat. Two, I think what
interaction she has had with people has been very traumatic. She is absolutely
terrified of people. Today she did try to bite me numerous times when I was
taking her out to go potty and when bringing her back inside the house.
Thankfully I'm faster than her, or at least this time! I don't hold a grudge - so it's
all good. She is just going to take a very long time to rehabilitate and learn to
trust people.
06/10/2008 12:00PM : I just love this girl! She still hasn't had any accidents in
the house yet. She lets me carry her outside, then she plasters herself to the
ground, but as soon as I go back inside and leave her out there, she goes potty!
She is such a smart girl! Oh, and when I went into her room this morning, she
didn't hide her face! She was laying on a comforter in the middle of the
bathroom, and she kept her head up and actually LOOKED at me! She hasn't
done that yet! Oh, she was serenaded this morning! LOL - I was taking a
shower and singing "Desperado" to her! I have a glass shower and could
watch her while I showered - she kept glancing my way, like...hmmmm...
Desperado? Of ALL the songs you could sing to me, you chose DESPERADO? It
was too funny! And her eyes don't get all dialated and huge like they had been -
a sure sign of fear. I think she's starting to relax a little.
06/09/2008 11:30PM : After careful thought and consideration, I've decided to
rename this pup - AGAIN! Massimo is a boys name, and since this darling is a
little girl, her new name is now "Caterina", which is Italian for "pure". Caterina
was spayed today. So, she basically thinks that I'm the devils sister! EVIL
BARBARA!!!! The vet staff felt so bad for her. They couldn't believe how
withdrawn and scared she was. They kept telling her that she didn't need to be
scared anymore, but she didn't believe them! The bloody diarrhea has stopped.
Yay! But, I went ahead and got her some Drontal to do a good deworming on
her. She's still seems a little loopy from the anesthesia but drank a lot of water
and nibbled some on her food. I think tomorrow she'll be feeling a little better.
I've given her some toys, but so far she's shown no interest in them. It doesn't
surprise me though. It took Cookie Monster 3 months before he realized how
fun they could be!!! I think that she'll come around a lot faster once I have added
her to my pack. Right now she's separated because I wanted to make sure that
she wasn't carrying any "shelter cooties"!!! Ewwwwww..... shelter cooties!!!! If
she still seems healthy by Wednesday I'll introduce her to everyone. My pack is
so laid back and casual I think that she'll fit right in. Being around solid dogs
that are living harmoniously in a pack and that are even keeled in temperament
will do wonders for her. She'll learn a lot from them!
Today she actually volunteered to WALK out of the crate, went about 6 steps
then fell to the ground in the hopes of becoming invisible! Progress since she
never walks out of the crate. Then when I brought her back inside, she ran to
the corner and tried to hide. So, I got some cheese and brought Mufasah,
Cookie, Sophia and Prissy over there next to her. I started breaking off pieces
of the cheese and feeding it to my crew. She became pretty interested in what
all the commotion was about. So I tossed her a piece and she actually ate it!
She has decided that she likes cheese! After that she walked about 5 steps
back towards the crate then fell to the floor again to become invisible. I wonder
if she realizes yet that she's NOT invisible? :-) I think I'm going to keep working
with her on the treats with my crew around. They seem to make her more
comfortable. I'd love to get her outside and take her running. I think she'd get
rid of a lot of her negative pent up energy if I ran the crap out of her! LOL I may
try that next week. Baby steps - I don't want to push her too much too fast.
06/11/2008 2:00PM : Okay, so I'm of the opinion that this dog has two things
going on with her. One, I think that she's feral. It's very obvious that she hasn't
been socialized with people. She acts just like a feral cat. Two, I think what
interaction she has had with people has been very traumatic. She is absolutely
terrified of people. Today she did try to bite me numerous times when I was
taking her out to go potty and when bringing her back inside the house.
Thankfully I'm faster than her, or at least this time! I don't hold a grudge - so it's
all good. She is just going to take a very long time to rehabilitate and learn to
trust people.
06/10/2008 12:00PM : I just love this girl! She still hasn't had any accidents in
the house yet. She lets me carry her outside, then she plasters herself to the
ground, but as soon as I go back inside and leave her out there, she goes potty!
She is such a smart girl! Oh, and when I went into her room this morning, she
didn't hide her face! She was laying on a comforter in the middle of the
bathroom, and she kept her head up and actually LOOKED at me! She hasn't
done that yet! Oh, she was serenaded this morning! LOL - I was taking a
shower and singing "Desperado" to her! I have a glass shower and could
watch her while I showered - she kept glancing my way, like...hmmmm...
Desperado? Of ALL the songs you could sing to me, you chose DESPERADO? It
was too funny! And her eyes don't get all dialated and huge like they had been -
a sure sign of fear. I think she's starting to relax a little.
06/09/2008 11:30PM : After careful thought and consideration, I've decided to
rename this pup - AGAIN! Massimo is a boys name, and since this darling is a
little girl, her new name is now "Caterina", which is Italian for "pure". Caterina
was spayed today. So, she basically thinks that I'm the devils sister! EVIL
BARBARA!!!! The vet staff felt so bad for her. They couldn't believe how
withdrawn and scared she was. They kept telling her that she didn't need to be
scared anymore, but she didn't believe them! The bloody diarrhea has stopped.
Yay! But, I went ahead and got her some Drontal to do a good deworming on
her. She's still seems a little loopy from the anesthesia but drank a lot of water
and nibbled some on her food. I think tomorrow she'll be feeling a little better.
I've given her some toys, but so far she's shown no interest in them. It doesn't
surprise me though. It took Cookie Monster 3 months before he realized how
fun they could be!!! I think that she'll come around a lot faster once I have added
her to my pack. Right now she's separated because I wanted to make sure that
she wasn't carrying any "shelter cooties"!!! Ewwwwww..... shelter cooties!!!! If
she still seems healthy by Wednesday I'll introduce her to everyone. My pack is
so laid back and casual I think that she'll fit right in. Being around solid dogs
that are living harmoniously in a pack and that are even keeled in temperament
will do wonders for her. She'll learn a lot from them!
| NEW VIDEO -- CATERINA IN HER CRATE |
| VIDEO -- CATERINA ENJOYING BEING OUTSIDE!!! |
06/17/2008 10:30PM : Wonders never cease!!! I brought Caterina outside today
and she didn't even hide in the bushes! This is the first time that she's gone
outside and seemed to enjoy the scenery! She was laying out there just
watching the world go by. It was so nice to see her relaxed. Yay!
and she didn't even hide in the bushes! This is the first time that she's gone
outside and seemed to enjoy the scenery! She was laying out there just
watching the world go by. It was so nice to see her relaxed. Yay!
| VIDEO -- SHOWING SIGNS OF CONFIDENCE!!! |
06/22/2008 2:15PM : Caterina is getting more and more confident - slowly but
surely! See the latest video of her hanging out! Also, the poor darling has come
down with a case of Kennel Cough. Sweet LaLonni got her sick - ugh! But, no
worries, she's being treated with antibiotics and should be back to feeling great
soon!
surely! See the latest video of her hanging out! Also, the poor darling has come
down with a case of Kennel Cough. Sweet LaLonni got her sick - ugh! But, no
worries, she's being treated with antibiotics and should be back to feeling great
soon!
07/05/2008 11:00PM : You're going to love this one! Even though I've been
leaving the door to her crate open, she hasn't ventured out of it except when I
make her to go outside to go potty. Well, last night I was exhausted and fell
asleep on the couch. Anyways, I'm snoring away when I hear this scurry of feet.
I peek my eyes open and there's Caterina play bowing in the kitchen tail just a
wagging!!! LOL She's befriended my cat Gianni and she's having a hoot of a time
playing with him and chasing each other around the kitchen island! LOL My dog
Mufasah is the resident Sheriff in town and he didn't want them waking me up,
so he kept going over and chasing Gianni out of the kitchen. But, as soon as Mu
would go lay back down by the couch where I'm "sleeping" Gianni would sneak
back in and Caterina would be play bowing again! She was a riot to watch. I've
never seen her look so darn happy! Cookie and Sophia weren't so impressed
since it was 3am and they were trying to catch some zzzzz's. Playing is for
daylight hours with those two! When Caterina realized that I was watching her
she snuck back over to her crate. So I closed my eyes, then about 10 minutes
later I heard her and Gianni playing it up in the kitchen again. Those two played
until 5am!!! :-)
06/26/2008 1:00AM : OMG - Holy Moses!!!! I'm a proud mama again!!! :-)
I've been putting Caterina on the cable run first, then I start walking the other
dogs. I take them right by her so she can watch us. Well, I'll be darned if tonight
she didn't show some interest in joining in the "walking fun"!!! I had Max out and
when we started walking by her, she stood up, tail wagging, and was trotting
along like she was going to come with us. When she got to the end of the cable
she looked sad because she couldn't come! So I went back and got her. She
walked quietly along either right next to my side or immediately behind me. She
even stopped to do some sniffing and was confident enough to go potty while on
the leash!!! I was shocked, amazed, and ooooooooh so proud of my little girl!
leaving the door to her crate open, she hasn't ventured out of it except when I
make her to go outside to go potty. Well, last night I was exhausted and fell
asleep on the couch. Anyways, I'm snoring away when I hear this scurry of feet.
I peek my eyes open and there's Caterina play bowing in the kitchen tail just a
wagging!!! LOL She's befriended my cat Gianni and she's having a hoot of a time
playing with him and chasing each other around the kitchen island! LOL My dog
Mufasah is the resident Sheriff in town and he didn't want them waking me up,
so he kept going over and chasing Gianni out of the kitchen. But, as soon as Mu
would go lay back down by the couch where I'm "sleeping" Gianni would sneak
back in and Caterina would be play bowing again! She was a riot to watch. I've
never seen her look so darn happy! Cookie and Sophia weren't so impressed
since it was 3am and they were trying to catch some zzzzz's. Playing is for
daylight hours with those two! When Caterina realized that I was watching her
she snuck back over to her crate. So I closed my eyes, then about 10 minutes
later I heard her and Gianni playing it up in the kitchen again. Those two played
until 5am!!! :-)
06/26/2008 1:00AM : OMG - Holy Moses!!!! I'm a proud mama again!!! :-)
I've been putting Caterina on the cable run first, then I start walking the other
dogs. I take them right by her so she can watch us. Well, I'll be darned if tonight
she didn't show some interest in joining in the "walking fun"!!! I had Max out and
when we started walking by her, she stood up, tail wagging, and was trotting
along like she was going to come with us. When she got to the end of the cable
she looked sad because she couldn't come! So I went back and got her. She
walked quietly along either right next to my side or immediately behind me. She
even stopped to do some sniffing and was confident enough to go potty while on
the leash!!! I was shocked, amazed, and ooooooooh so proud of my little girl!
| VIDEO -- CATERINA HAS MADE A NEW FRIEND!!! |
| VIDEO -- CATERINA PLAYING W/ THE CREW!!! |
10/27/2008 8:30PM : It's been a while since I posted about Caterina. Sorry
everyone - I have been super busy. Seems like I've had no time to even do
things for my own rescue because I've been so involved in other things. But, I
think I should be back on track now! To catch you up on Caterina... I thought I
had a home for her. It was a WONDERFUL home, and I think Caterina would
have been very happy there. But, their schedules changed and it just wasn't the
right time to add a new poochie to their lives. So Caterina is back up for
adoption. I know that she will find a great home though. She had a skin
infection on her back leg, but that has cleared up and the hair has grown back
now. She's now quite the little tease... she likes to dart in and give me quick
kisses then runs away! LOL She absolute LOVES her walks every day. And
she thinks it's very fun to run circles around me and pounce around like
T-I-Double GG-er! :-) She has to be the BOUNCIEST dog I have ever met! It's
hysterical to watch her pouncing around. I keep telling her that she's not a cat,
even though her name is Caterina! OOOOH! So yesterday I bought a BIG box of
Junior Mints. I ate a few then put the box on the sofa beside me because
Cookie needed to go potty. I come back inside, sit down... hmmm.... where is
my box of Junior Mints? Bratty little Caterina apparently thought they smelled
quite tasty so she ate ALL of the Junior Mints and about half of the cardboard
box!!!! Ugh! Needless to say - I wasn't a happy Mommy! I really wanted those
mints! LOL I wasn't so worried about her eating the chocolate, as I was about
the possibility that Junior Mints have Xylitol in them. Xylitol is an artificial
sweetner that is highly toxic to dogs even in small amounts. Mints and
sugarless gum typically have this sweetner in them. So, I had to take her
outside and make her swallow Peroxide to induce vomiting. Sure enough - she
yaked up mints, cardboard and her dinner. Yuck! She gave me this sheepish
little look like - sorry Mom!!!
08/30/2008 8:30AM : I was laying on the couch last night and Grace the cat and
Prissy the jack russell were cuddled up with me while I watched a movie.
When lo and behold, Miss. Caterina jumped up on the couch and curled up in
the crook where my knees were bent! Needless to say the couch last night
was quite crowded! LOL She seemed quite content to snuggle up though and
wagged her tail when I pet her head. She still gets really nervous when I stand
up and walk around, but is more happy to see me now than she ever has been.
She's more happy and waggy tailed than skittish. So, I think we're about 70% in
the "Trusting Barbara" category! She is still totally petrified of anyone other
than me. But it's nice to at least see her relaxing with me though. Not bad for 3
months of rehab I suppose!
08/22/2008 10:30PM : So..... I'm sitting on the couch watching some TV before
going to bed... relaxing after a long day at work. When, all of a sudden Caterina
jumps up on the couch beside me, curls up and makes her little self
comfortable! LOL She's never gotten on the furniture before, much less get
that close to me voluntarily. It was so cute. If my camera did well in low lighting
I would have gotten a picture of her up there! Looks like she's really starting to
make herself at home here. :-)
08/02/2008 11:00PM : Caterina is doing really great now! She has officially
become a member of my pack now and she truly enjoys playing hard with them!
Games of "keep away" keep her entertained quite a bit!!! She is still having
accidents in the house, but is starting to catch on to good house manners. She
loves her walks and now prances along beside me with her tail wagging. I even
get tail wags when I pet her too after our walks. At other times she gets
nervous when I approach her though, but she has definitely come a long way
since her arrival. I'm very proud of her!
everyone - I have been super busy. Seems like I've had no time to even do
things for my own rescue because I've been so involved in other things. But, I
think I should be back on track now! To catch you up on Caterina... I thought I
had a home for her. It was a WONDERFUL home, and I think Caterina would
have been very happy there. But, their schedules changed and it just wasn't the
right time to add a new poochie to their lives. So Caterina is back up for
adoption. I know that she will find a great home though. She had a skin
infection on her back leg, but that has cleared up and the hair has grown back
now. She's now quite the little tease... she likes to dart in and give me quick
kisses then runs away! LOL She absolute LOVES her walks every day. And
she thinks it's very fun to run circles around me and pounce around like
T-I-Double GG-er! :-) She has to be the BOUNCIEST dog I have ever met! It's
hysterical to watch her pouncing around. I keep telling her that she's not a cat,
even though her name is Caterina! OOOOH! So yesterday I bought a BIG box of
Junior Mints. I ate a few then put the box on the sofa beside me because
Cookie needed to go potty. I come back inside, sit down... hmmm.... where is
my box of Junior Mints? Bratty little Caterina apparently thought they smelled
quite tasty so she ate ALL of the Junior Mints and about half of the cardboard
box!!!! Ugh! Needless to say - I wasn't a happy Mommy! I really wanted those
mints! LOL I wasn't so worried about her eating the chocolate, as I was about
the possibility that Junior Mints have Xylitol in them. Xylitol is an artificial
sweetner that is highly toxic to dogs even in small amounts. Mints and
sugarless gum typically have this sweetner in them. So, I had to take her
outside and make her swallow Peroxide to induce vomiting. Sure enough - she
yaked up mints, cardboard and her dinner. Yuck! She gave me this sheepish
little look like - sorry Mom!!!
08/30/2008 8:30AM : I was laying on the couch last night and Grace the cat and
Prissy the jack russell were cuddled up with me while I watched a movie.
When lo and behold, Miss. Caterina jumped up on the couch and curled up in
the crook where my knees were bent! Needless to say the couch last night
was quite crowded! LOL She seemed quite content to snuggle up though and
wagged her tail when I pet her head. She still gets really nervous when I stand
up and walk around, but is more happy to see me now than she ever has been.
She's more happy and waggy tailed than skittish. So, I think we're about 70% in
the "Trusting Barbara" category! She is still totally petrified of anyone other
than me. But it's nice to at least see her relaxing with me though. Not bad for 3
months of rehab I suppose!
08/22/2008 10:30PM : So..... I'm sitting on the couch watching some TV before
going to bed... relaxing after a long day at work. When, all of a sudden Caterina
jumps up on the couch beside me, curls up and makes her little self
comfortable! LOL She's never gotten on the furniture before, much less get
that close to me voluntarily. It was so cute. If my camera did well in low lighting
I would have gotten a picture of her up there! Looks like she's really starting to
make herself at home here. :-)
08/02/2008 11:00PM : Caterina is doing really great now! She has officially
become a member of my pack now and she truly enjoys playing hard with them!
Games of "keep away" keep her entertained quite a bit!!! She is still having
accidents in the house, but is starting to catch on to good house manners. She
loves her walks and now prances along beside me with her tail wagging. I even
get tail wags when I pet her too after our walks. At other times she gets
nervous when I approach her though, but she has definitely come a long way
since her arrival. I'm very proud of her!
| CATERINA'S PICTURE FROM THE SHELTER. |
3/18/09 11:00PM : I completely forgot to update the BLOG! Caterina has been
adopted by a FABULOUS family and is so loved!!!! She is doing splendid in her
new home. I've been told that she now sleeps in bed with them and loves to play
chase with her new Mom in the yard! :)
11/27/08 01:00PM : Caterina starred in a Thanksgiving video today w/ her pal
Butterbean who also came from the Darlington shelter! They became fast
friends!
adopted by a FABULOUS family and is so loved!!!! She is doing splendid in her
new home. I've been told that she now sleeps in bed with them and loves to play
chase with her new Mom in the yard! :)
11/27/08 01:00PM : Caterina starred in a Thanksgiving video today w/ her pal
Butterbean who also came from the Darlington shelter! They became fast
friends!
| CATERINA'S TURKEY DAY VIDEO!!! |