This guest blog by Lauren Kelliher of Illinois Doberman Rescue.
I first wrote about this dog, this past Christmas, then named Hope. It's an amazing story - the dog might have died - and I thought for sure this super pup would be adopted. But that hasn't been the case. I asked Lauren for an update - which she provides here. Tumaini deserves a forever home! Few dogs could manage to beat the odds like this dogs has.
Guest blog, Lauren Kelliher, Illinois Doberman Rescue
In December 2010, a cattle dog=mix was brought into Animal Welfare League (AWL) on the south side of Chicago. She was emaciated, dehydrated, and clinging to life. Every bone was showing, and she had enormous open sores on her hips. AWL volunteers named her Hope and called Illinois Doberman Rescue Plus because they take in other breeds and special cases like this.
IDR+ president Pam Abare-Newton renamed her Tumaini, which means hope in Swahili. Pam nursed her back to health in her home with food, love, repeated wound dressing, and vet visits. The Trio Animal Foundation sponsored her medical care.
After making a full recovery, she spent a few more months at Pam's where her temperament and personality were assessed. She is a friendly and playful girl who gets along with everyone she meets; however, she would do best in a home without small children because she gets startled by them. Due to more medical dogs coming into IDR+, Tumaini needed to be transferred to a kennel for what was hoped to be a short foster time. However, she spent months in the kennel, but she didn't mind because she couldn't hear the other dogs.
Tumaini is deaf, but she can be training has already begun with hand signals. She knows "sit" and "lie down." Because of her deafness, she needs to be adopted to a home with a fenced yard because she can't hear cars and other hazards.
She had fun at the kennel, which was on a large farm. There, she got to meet cows, horses, and several other dogs. She also got a chance to swim. Eventually, the kennel owner's sister offered to foster Tumaini in her home.
Tumaini is doing great in her new foster home. She is living with three small Dachshunds and is playful and friendly with them. She does get rambunctious while playing, but she refocuses her attention with redirection. Tumaini's foster mom said it took her a while to learn how to navigate the stairs to the second floor, but she is a quick learner. She could use better manners on the leash. She loves to play fetch, but she hasn't quite figured out the "bring it back" part. She loves to chase a thrown ball or rope toy, but she has to be able see it to run after it.
In May, Tumaini got to participate in the Chicago White Sox "Sox for Strays" event at US Cellular Field. She got to meet several of her favorite players and was featured in a PSA with Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle and his wife Jamie, who started the program. At the event, Tumaini saw several people who stopped to stopped to meet her, and several people said they would fill out an application for her, but no one did.
Incredibly, Tumaini remains available for adoption. She is being fostered in far northern Illinois. She is good with other dogs, unknown with cats, needs a fenced yard, and should go to a home with no young kids. For more information on Tumaini, please email OrphanDobe@ameritech.net. Please.
