Meet Tilly! This pretty Terrier mix was rescued as a stray running the streets of downtown Rock Hill, SC. We don't know if she was abandoned or escaped her prior home, but she was afraid to approach people, and it took over a week to trap her and get her to safety. We believe she came from a hoarding situation or lived as an outside dog isolated from people and everyday life.



Tilly is fortunate to be fostered by one of our seasoned foster moms, Tracy, who has rehabbed some of the most shut-down dogs. Tracy's home has calm, welcoming energy, and she has the patience to give Tilly time to trust her while also knowing she needs to learn and be exposed to new things. Tracy has two laidback pups who function as good role models for tilly too.



We checked in with Tracy, who has had Tilly for about a month, for an update. Initially, Tracy kept Tilly on a leash in the home to direct her, whether for going outside for potty breaks or engaging in everyday life things. This gave Tilly time to learn the routine and what was expected of her. It worked! Tilly will now come when she's called, even if out in the yard —which is better than many dogs. Tilly now follows Tracy around the house, goes upstairs with the pack at bedtime, and she's starting to make better eye contact, which initially scared her off.



We have learned that Tilly LOVES her walks. The first thing she connected to was running into the garage to go for daily walks. Walk time was the icebreaker that helped her connect with Tracy. We believe walking is key to building rapport with Tilly or any new dog, and it also gets her exposed to more and more things. Tracy does have a fenced yard, but that can't replace the walk. We feel committing to regular walks is the most important thing for Tilly.


 


Tilly has a moderate energy level and has spurts of energy to play with toys or chew a Benebone. She is housetrained and crate trained, but Tracy has not crated her since the first week. She is not destructive when left alone and does really well with other dogs. She doesn't really engage them in play, but they are a source of comfort for her, and she follows their lead. We think she would do best with another social, confident pup in the home to learn from.



Day by day, Tilly improves, and she gets more relaxed. She started doing zoomies in the yard and now has her favorite couch and bed spot she will go to if she gets nervous. She went in for grooming last week, and they bathed her and trimmed her nails. She was fine in the car but a little fearful after the nail trim, so they didn't do the full grooming. Next time she goes, they will do a little more and ease her into it.



We are looking for a calm home environment and a patient owner who understands that Tilly needs time to settle in and trust. She is not a "plug and play" dog; she's not going to greet you with warm kisses at the first meetup or even after a little time in your home. We need an adopter who can see her potential, and another social pup for companionship is preferred.

 
Preference will be given to:




Families with another social dog in the home 


Single family home, townhome, or condo in quieter area


Some dogs experience required




 
BREED ESTIMATE: Terrier Mix
GENDER: Female
APPROXIMATE WEIGHT: 20 lbs
APPROXIMATE AGE: ~ 2.5 to 3 years old
COAT TYPE: Long coat - needs regular grooming
ADOPTION FEE: $400
OTHER INFO: Current on shots/spayed/microchipped
LOCATION: Ashburn, VA


 


FOR MORE INFO OR TO ADOPT: Please go to https://adopt.worthydog.org and complete the application.



You can also help save dogs like this one by becoming a foster, providing a rescue dog with a temporary home and giving them the love and care they need until they are permanently adopted. Every person who fosters is directly responsible for saving the life of a dog, because we can only save as many dogs as we have foster families available to welcome them into their homes. If you think you might be interested in becoming a foster and want to learn more, please go to https://foster.worthydog.org and fill out an application.



Worthy Dog Rescue is an all-volunteer, foster-based rescue that primarily adopts to families in the DC Metro area.