At first, Graycie does not look happy at all. Huddled in the
corner of her cage at Granite Hills Animal Care in Elberton, Georgia, the shy
pitbull mix seems distinctly uneasy — possibly because of the great big human
sharing the cage with her.
But that human, Dr Andy Mathis, knows that this is the best
way to help this new arrival acclimatize to her new surroundings, including the
animals and humans wandering around outside her cage.
Dr Mathis sets down breakfast for the once-abandoned pooch
and then begins to eat his own alongside her — and soon Graycie is looking
happier and more comfortable than she has in a long time.
But to get Graycie comfortable takes a long while. The
animal watches, seemingly wary and confused, as Mathis clears a little space
and sets a bowl of food down in front of her.
But even as Mathis tucks into his food, Graycie seems unsure
of whether to eat, so the good doctor puts down his own breakfast and offers a
handful to the pup.
Soon Graycie and Mathis are both eating with gusto, while a
cat and another dog, seemingly wandering freely around the room, wander by to
take a peek at the new arrival.
Graycie was found on Jan 29, after being found on a dirt
road. 'She was dumped in the middle of nowhere," he said. "She had a
collar, so she was owned by somebody at some point. Whoever was feeding her
wasn’t feeding her enough. She was 20 pounds when we found her and probably
should have weighed 30 to 35 pounds.'
But while Graycie was emotionally damaged when she was
brought in — so much so that Mathis has to share breakfast with her just to get
her comfortable around people — he says it doesn't get him down.
'We’ve had dogs in the past that took up to six weeks to
feel comfortable getting outside and then, they love to play, they love other
dogs and they love me,' Mathis told ABC News. 'It doesn’t make me sad to see
[dogs] broken and withdrawn because with time, I know what's possible.'
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