Dolly, whose original name was Birdie, was the product of a casual backyard breeder situation. When she was 8-weeks old, her owners gave her to family friends. This new family had a fairly chaotic life. From the time of her adoption Dolly spent up to 9 hours a day completely alone. The family did have a 5-year old child, who may have been Dolly’s only consistent human companion. Overall, though, this family had no idea how to care for a dog. They were neglectful. She had minimal human interaction, no training, no veterinary visits, no preventative health care, no safety. Understandably, Dolly was bored and lonely, and she acted out accordingly. She was a wild child. She escaped from them whenever she could. She chased cars, a behavior that constantly placed her in danger.

When she was 6-months old, the family moved and decided Dolly wasn’t coming with them. She was surrendered to a kill shelter in Colorado, where she exhibited some serious emotional issues. She was terrified and very scared of strangers. She was very underweight. She was spayed during this shelter stay, and she had complications from that surgery. She was at this county humane society for one week only, because workers there knew to contact SWESR in order to give this pup a chance at life with people who understood Setters’ physical and emotional needs. Subsequent vetting after Dolly was in SWESR’s care revealed that she had Chagas disease.

Dolly went to experienced SWESR foster parents. Initially, she was frantic and had separation anxiety. She was a counter cruiser, always getting into things, and always, always wanting to play with her elderly English Setter foster siblings. When her foster parents went away for one weekend, Dolly stayed at another foster home, where she played non-stop with their Irish Setters. She had an extraordinarily high energy level.

Meanwhile, Jeff and Janet were looking to adopt another dog. Their beloved SWESR dog, whose name was also Birdie, had died unexpectedly at age 6, in May 2023. Her death was traumatic for them, but they had given themselves time to grieve and were ready to open their hearts and home to another SWESR dog. Janet spoke with all of Dolly’s foster parents and with SWESR directly, as everyone wanted to ensure a good match between humans and dog.

Janet realized she had the time to do the work of integrating Dolly into the family, and so a few days after the conversations were completed Janet and Jeff got into their car in January 2024 and drove 500 miles to pick her up. It was love at first sight. Janet knows that’s a cliché, but that is what they experienced. She and Jeff were smitten by Dolly, which is good, because when Dolly first joined the family she was wild! She had non-stop zoomies, and she exuded a frantic and nervous energy. She met Franklin, Jeff and Janet’s other SWESR ES, and the two dogs loved each other immediately. It’s as though Dolly knew she was in her forever home, because suddenly, she began to adjust.

It helped that Jeff and Janet knew how to manage an active Setter. Dolly was walked for miles every day. She had a large fenced backyard in which to play. Fetch quickly became one of her favorite games. She adores small children, and for her first five months with Jeff and Janet, Dolly would whine, wag her tail, and pull whenever she saw a small child.

Dolly is quite a cosmopolitan dog now. She and Franklin go to doggy day care two days a week, where Dolly is extremely social and active. She loves breweries, parks, outdoor restaurants, and the neighborhood dog and people bar just a block from home. She loves to be close to people and other dogs. Jeff even built a larger bed, as the formerly underweight Dolly has now doubled in size and a king bed is needed to fit everyone at night!

Remember Dolly the escape artist from her previous life? Dolly has only gotten out of her new home once when a family member accidentally left the gate ajar, and that was for the sole purpose of visiting the next door neighbor’s dog, so they could play. Otherwise, she has never tried to escape. She has no interest in chasing cars. She prefers to be with her family. When other dogs may be exploring, looking for squirrels or any other potential prey, Dolly sticks close to her humans. The creation of a new family consisting of Jeff, Janet, Dolly, and Franklin has been very healing for them all, as well as Jeff and Janet’s adult children, who love to play with Dolly whenever they visit.

Dolly shows her gratitude every day. Despite a nearly feral upbringing initially, she has learned to trust her people. When Janet walks her, Dolly will often glue her face to Janet’s hip. She literally wants to be attached at the hip with her people. She loves to be petted. She will stretch out (better surface area for loving on) and will let out happy moans. And she is now healthy and Chagas-free.

Dolly is extremely contented. She is no longer anxious, and she knows she is loved. If Janet and Jeff have to leave the house, Dolly quickly steps into her crate the second she hears the rustle of her favorite treat bag. She knows that her people will be back soon. Full of fun and toothy smiles, Dolly is bonded equally to Jeff and Janet. This goofy girl amuses her parents every day, and every night the bond between humans and dogs is reinforced and strengthened on the family bed.