Dog of the Week: Briar

Hi. My name is Sue, and I am the foster mom for an adoptable dog from Last Hope Animal Rescue named Briar. Normally it’s easy for me to write a short biography for my fosters, but this one for Briar has me stumped. Let me tell you why. Usually, we start a bio with the facts, and in this case, that’s pretty straightforward. Briar is a 2-year-old spayed Tree Walking Coonhound. She is up to date on all her shots and is in good health. But there are other “facts,” ones that aren’t so easy to list. Briar was found thin, terrified, and heartworm positive in an area around southern Illinois, where it is common for people to breed hunting dogs. If the dogs do not perform well, they are often dumped in wooded areas and left to fend for themselves. We believe that is what happened to Briar. It’s customary in these bios to talk about the dog’s positive attributes. Easy enough. Briar is a jaw-droppingly beautiful girl. She is smart, trainable, and people-oriented. She is eager for love and willing to please. She is super sweet. When she relaxes, she loves to play in the backyard. She does very well with other dogs, especially dogs that want to run and wrestle. She does fine with my older dog-savvy cats but is not a good fit for kittens. She is good in her kennel and good outside of it as well. She isn’t any more destructive than any other 2-year-old hound, which is to say don’t leave your socks on the floor, but that is true of any young dog. I can’t know her past. I can’t know how she was treated before she came to Last Hope. I can only say this – when I brought her home, she was terrified. She flattened like a pancake when anyone raised their voice. She flinched when we dropped something when the phone rang, when Alexa rang an alarm. It took some time to convince her that people could be kind. And now? You wouldn’t believe how much better she is! She loves to be petted and played with. She’ll sit on the couch with you if you ask her to. She is still nervous around strangers. She is still leery of the big screen TV. But she is becoming a dog who can find happiness in summer days and people kisses. What about the downside? Does she bark? Of course – she’s a hound! Her howl can wake the dead – but she’s very quiet most of the time. Will she dig? Yup – she’ll make herself a bed in a pile of dirt if she finds one. She is timid with strangers. She isn’t aggressive, she just would prefer to meet people in her own time. She has on occasion chewed up candy bar wrappers she finds in the trash. She has a lot of energy and wouldn’t make a very good couch potato. She has anxiety sometimes and paces the floor. I want to grab you by the hand and drag you to meet her. I want you to see the incredible courage it has taken her to put the past behind her, and how she’s getting better every single day. I would love for you to see the absolute joy she has playing outside, and the sparkle in her eyes when she sees me. I can’t say that she’s going to be an easy dog when you bring her home. I can’t say it won’t take her a little bit to warm up and feel safe. But I can say this dog is a one-in-a-million find. If you are patient, if you are kind, if you enjoy long walks with many breaks to sniff and smell, if you have love to give and if you want love in return, this is the dog for you. If you have ever crawled up out of a dark place and felt the sun on your skin and realized you’re going to be okay, then you will understand this dog. And she will understand you, too.

Briar’s adoption fee is $250 and includes spay surgery, being up to date on vaccinations and preventives, a microchip with free lifetime registration, and a free obedience class.

If you want to meet Briar, please complete an adoption application HERE.