Does the name Emma Lou bring fear to your heart? Well, this Emma caused fear in many people before she found sanctuary at the Crooked Leg Ranch.
A worker at the Chilliwack rescue was coming to Quesnel to attend some training through Noah’s Wish and she phoned the girls to ask if she could bring up an aggressive dog that was due to be put down the next day unless a new placement was found. With reluctance, the girls gave the okay. Since Willow was also participating in the training, Fauna was asked to foster Emma for the weekend.
With all the hype about an aggressive hound, the girls expected to see a massive hulk with snarling teeth emerge from the truck. Out came a medium-sized timid girl with sad eyes and long black ears.
It turns out that Emma was surrendered four years ago because she could not be house trained, she was pregnant and she had heart issues. It was thought that giving birth would cause enough stress to cause death. But no, she had 11 beautiful puppies that were soon in new homes. The decision was made to spay her but again there was worry that the procedure could be fatal. Again no, she came out fine. The workers tried to foster her in many places but the result was always the same, messes in the home. Emma was then restricted to the kennel and cages and her frustration turned to aggression. With no hope of adoption, the last resort was euthanasia except that one worker reached out to Crooked Leg Ranch.
Fauna treated her like a puppy without training and eventually Emma learned not to make messes in the house. Emma found a safe, accepting place that weekend which turned into forever. The girls retrained her and hoped for adoption but here too, there was reluctance to take a dog with a weak heart. After four years of looking for a home, two in Chilliwack and two here, Fauna proposed that Emma become a sanctuary dog, meaning she would spend the rest of her years at the ranch.
Emma is an unusual dog with a pointed nose and short legs. This breed originates from Germany and is bred for hunting. Not sold as pets, these dogs are only sold to hunters as working dogs. How Emma found her way to Canada is unknown but we are glad she found her way to Quesnel.
For more information, please contact: www.crookedlegranch.com.
Liz-Anne Eyeford is a volunteer with Crooked Leg Ranch in Quesnel.