Meet Tiana, an 11-month-old pittie, whose life began in a tough spot. Back in February, rescuers saved Tiana from a neglectful owner and brought her to Pennsylvania SPCA. At the rescue, Tiana no longer had to worry about being ignored. However, the nervous pup didn’t realize she was in a safe space, and she had trouble adjusting to her new life of care and love.
“She would cower in her kennel with her head down, ears back and with a crouched body posture on approach,” Pennsylvania SPCA director of lifesaving Maddie Bernstein told The Dodo. “She would exhibit full-body trembling and huddle in the back of her kennel.”
Heartbroken rescuers tried everything to get Tiana to open up. They lured her with treats and walked other rescue dogs by her kennel to see if she’d come out to play. But timid Tiana wouldn’t budge.
“We’ve had to get creative,” Pennsylvania SPCA wrote in a post about Tiana.
Eventually, rescue staff figured out how to get the pittie out of her shell.
“What ended up working is our staff member just picked her up and carried her out to a play yard,” Bernstein said. “She almost immediately relaxed and started playing and getting wiggly with him.”
These days, Tiana is slowly beginning to reveal her true colors.
“She’s truthfully just a sweetie pie,” Bernstein said. “She loves to snuggle and be pet, and once she is feeling really comfortable, she does zoomies in the play yard and romps around like a puppy.”
Pennsylvania SPCA staff are hopeful that Tiana will find her forever home soon. The friendly pup is looking for a family with a fenced yard where she can run and play, a primarily quiet environment, and parents who are willing to let her learn at her own pace. Rescuers think she would do well with certain children, as long as they respect Tiana’s space and boundaries. Rescuers also believe Tiana would thrive with a dog friend and might also do well with cats.
Now so happy in care, it’s clear that Tiana will become someone’s perfect pet one day soon.
“She will romp around with toys, and she seems to really like other dogs,” Bernstein said. “She also appreciates a very comfy bed and will snuggle all day long.”
