Caribou
CARIBOU UPDATE - March 2021!
CARIBOU UPDATE! Caribou was confiscated in 2017 with three other dogs because their owner was a felon (certain felons are not allowed to have unsterilized/un-microchipped dogs in Illinois). At first, Caribou was timid and afraid of movements over his head and around him, but he still loved to give kisses and meet every person who approached him. He waited 113 long days at CACC until Dogs are Deserving Rescue was able to pull him once they were able to secure a foster. This foster remembers meeting Caribou at CACC, when he was “jumping desperately to get out of his kennel and making direct eye contact” with her. She had heard through the rescue that he had been there for quite some time. She then learned about Safe Humane and admired our mission.
Well, we’re happy to report that same foster, Julie, officially adopted Caribou in December 2020! Although Julie initially thought maybe “Bou” needed “a large yard, quiet suburban location, two adult caretakers, and having young dog mates,” she realized Caribou is at peace in her home and that this is what he really deserves: “What is more important than a perfect setting on paper is just plain old love and comfort.” Julie hopes to continue fostering and thinks Caribou will make a great host to future foster dogs that come their way in the future.
In the meantime, Julie and Caribou enjoy each other’s company quite a bit. Julie fell in love with Caribou’s enthusiasm and pure joy for the simple things, as simple as waking up or going down the stairs. He loves to play “keep away” with his squeaky balls. He “goes bananas” when it is walk time, and he likes being off-leash in dog-friendly forest preserves and at daycare. Caribou loves watching the world outside from the window and just being as close to his people as he can be. And of course Caribou has zoomies and spurts of goofball-ness from time to time, which are really endearing and gives Julie much needed belly laughs.
It hasn’t always been easy though. Julie has had to help Caribou manage his anxiety and "stranger danger." Initially any movements above his head would scare him, as would the kitchen hand blender, aluminum foil, and ceiling fans. Seeing this makes Julie have compassion and curiosity for what he endured, which of course we’ll never know. Because Caribou is a Safe Humane Court Case Dog, Julie was able to utilize a great vet behaviorist and other Safe Humane-sponsored help, along with a lot of trial and error, to get Caribou to a good place. And Julie has “absolutely no regrets fostering or adopting him;” she considers helping Caribou “an honor.”
“Caribou has visible marks on his body which you can see in the photo of him taken when he was found. The marks serve not only as permanent reminders of his past, but as survival scars that tell the story of his strength, perseverance, and will to live. He is a living myth-buster of pit bull stereotypes that they are born mean, trained to be mean, and have no chance of becoming a loving, caring family member. Untrue. None of us are perfect, we are all works in progress. It most definitely would have been easier to buy a puppy with specific qualifications. However, I encourage anyone considering that to consider the cycle of manufactured suffering that decision fuels behind the scenes. It's a gift to provide an otherwise doomed dog a second chance, one that came from a miserable beginning through no fault of his own. Doing so pays you back tenfold in love and gratitude. It may not be the easy straightforward path, but the best things in life usually don't head to us that way. We are all deserving of second chances and saving.” ~ Julie, Caribou’s Mom