The five German Shepherds brought to Nassau Humane Society from a squalid, rural Georgia property will need weeks, maybe months, of care before they're ready for foster or adoption.
The dogs were among more than 150 rescued from a property in Metter, Georgia. According to the Atlanta Humane Society, the dogs were living in unsanitary conditions and in desperate need of help. Nassau Humane will take in more dogs next week from a second property where hundreds of additional dogs were located.
“They’re just not used to human touch at all,” Nassau Humane Society Executive Director Jacki McDonald said. “The longer-haired dogs have abscesses and skin conditions because they weren’t groomed appropriately. And feces and bugs tend to gravitate [toward] that.”
McDonald said the dogs have never been on a leash before and have likely never been inside. She added that since the dogs aren’t used to leashes or this environment, they’d likely run away if they got out.
“We’re not forcing vet work and grooming right off the bat,” McDonald said. “We want to give them a little time to decompress and just relax.”
For now, it’s all about building trust.
“A lot of the next few weeks we’re just gonna sit quietly with them,” McDonald said. “Not try to leash them, not try to pull on them or pet them but just let them know that our presence isn’t a threat.”
McDonald also offered a caution to people who opt to buy dogs from breeders.
“That was a breeding situation. It wasn’t a hoarder or a rescue, it was someone that was truly using these animals to produce puppies again and again and again,” she said. “If you are going to go the breeding route and not adopt, do not take things sight unseen. Ask to see the parents, ask to see the conditions. I mean, these dogs didn’t even have basic shelter, so these are such loving animals and they were treated so poorly.”
While the dogs aren’t yet ready for adoption or foster, you can help by donating to Nassau Humane Society.
