VVHS to host opening for adoption park

Chairy, a young, medium- to large-sized dog, was found tied to a bench on a Cottonwood trailhead with a rope around her neck. When hikers found her and called animal control, she was brought to the Verde Valley Humane Society scared and underweight.

The black Labrador retriever and pit bull mix was named after Rocking Chair Road, where she was found.

VVHS placed Chairy in a foster home, fundraised for her recovery and is now seeking to find her a permanent home. She arrived at the shelter in February, timid and underweight, weighing 32 pounds with prominent ribs exposed.

“When she came in, she was untouchable,” Mick Burnett, VVHS board member and foster said. “She wouldn’t let anybody get near her to take that rope off.”

“She arrived at the shelter scared and traumatized,” VVHS animal behaviorist Christine Heinze said. “It took several days of trust building, but we soon saw Chairy’s fun personality begin to show. With further work and attention, Chairy expanded her circle of human friends and although still shy, Chairy started to settle into the shelter routine.”

Shortly after her arrival, Chairy injured her hind leg, similar to an ACL tear, that required surgery. VVHS reached out and quickly received donations, alongside a donation from Southern California German Shepherd Rescue, and was able to schedule Chairy’s surgery in May.

Needing to recover, Chairy went into a foster home with VVHS board members Mick and Karin Burnett and their former foster dog, Boone.

The Burnetts introduced the dogs before bringing Chairy into their home and quickly found that she was not territorial, and later that she gets along great with other dogs. When she first came to their house, she was tentative about everything, frightened by noises and the Burnetts could tell she hadn’t been around other dogs.

In her foster home, the Burnetts said she’s coming out of her shell, learning how to live with another dog.

“She had no idea what toys were,” Mick said. “No one has ever played with her. She’s like a dog who hasn’t learned how to be a dog or a puppy. She doesn’t know how to catch. If you throw a ball or a toy at her, she watches it until it comes and hits her in the face.”

Mick said Chairy is very much into affection and new experiences. She’s very playful and loves going on walks, but is also tolerant and well-mannered. She enjoys stretching out and napping after eating, even laying out in the sun when it’s 95 degrees outside.

“I think she’d make a great family dog,” Mick said. “She’s been around kids, noise and other animals and she doesn’t have an aggressive tendency in her. I can see her with a family with a couple of kids getting nothing but horse play and attention all day long.”

Chairy is about 1.5 to 2 years old and is house trained. She now weighs 50 pounds, with her ideal weight in the 50 to 55 pound range. Larger dogs typically have longer stays at the shelter, while smaller dogs are adopted quickly.

“Fostering is great for getting animals out of the stressful environment of the shelter and giving them a better place to come out of their shell, which then makes them more adoptable,” Mick said. “On the practical side, if you are a foster, the shelter provides for all the food, medical expenses, a bed, leashes, whatever you would need.”

“From an emotional standpoint, you’re trying to help the dog get to that next step of being adoptable, and to me that’s what’s rewarding,” Mick said. “There’s a huge reward in knowing that you brought this dog from point A to point B, helped expose their personality, made them adaptable to home life, and then watch them go to a family where they can then have that life that you want all those dogs to have.”

Chairy will receive her spay surgery once she is at a healthy weight, but if residents are interested in adopting her, they can call the shelter by calling 928-634-7387. Visit verdevalleyhumane.org/foster if interested in being a foster.

Adoption Park

VVHS will also have a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, June 30, at 10:30 a.m. for the grand opening of its new adoption park.

VVHS is located at 1520 W. Mingus Ave. in Cottonwood. Visit verdevalleyhumane.org for more information.