About Caesar

My name is Jen Whitaker, I'm an LVT and surgical technician at Highway 58 Animal Hospital in Chattanooga, TN. My husband is Dr. Shane Whitaker, our surgeon and one of our two owners. I am posting in regard to a 5-year-old intact male GSD named 'Caesar' who has been abandoned at our hospital and is in dire need of rescue. His owner reserved a kennel run for boarding over the holidays, then never picked him up. We tried repeatedly to get in touch with him to no avail. Then one day he sent us a letter and informed us that he had been admitted to a psychiatric facility and would not be available for an undetermined, but lengthy, amount of time. We contacted the facility he claimed to be at in order to try to get in touch with him or with someone there who could perhaps contact the owner's relatives and have them pick up the dog, but were told they do not and have never had a patient by that name. More time passed with no successful contact. Then just the other day he called us and said that he could not take care of Caesar, would not be picking him up, and for us to find him a new home. We record all phone calls so we have the recording saved and documented. This constitutes surrender/abandonment. We do not do rescues or adoptions at our practice as we are primarily surgical, so our only options are to find a rescue who can take this handsome boy, or surrender him to the local humane society here. I myself have been a lifelong GSD owner and first generation American from a family of German immigrants. I am also a lifelong rescuer/rehabilitator, and for the past 13 years a professional behaviorist, so I told my husband I would make this my personal project. Right now I am *desperate* to find a rescue for Caesar, as he is very under-socialized and not doing well in a kennel environment. He would not survive at the humane society among the hundreds of socialized, immediately adoptable dogs they have coming in every month, and would be euthanized upon intake. Unfortunately, backyard-bred German Shepherds are a dime a dozen here. In a kennel surrounded by barking dogs with strangers staring at him through a chainlink gate, he is very scared and as a result, he exhibits a lot of hyper-excitement, defensiveness, and anxiety-based aggression. When Caesar first arrived and the owner brought him in on a leash, he was nervous but did not display any aggression. I firmly believe that in a foster setting with some training, socialization, and a job to perform to burn off his energy, he will be an entirely different dog. Due to his high level of excitement and kennel aggression, we are unable to examine him without sedation. Our owners are not willing to risk the liability of staff interacting with him nor the costs of sedation/treatment since he has no one responsible for him. He appears to be intact, his former owner did not mention him being neutered on the intake paperwork. He is UTD on his rabies vaxx., no Hx of other vaccinations. If we did not already have our own male GSD and a very young baby human daughter, I would love to foster Caesar myself and work with him. Thus we are seeking a rescue organization for Caesar - no private adopters please. Our hospital is willing to take care of his neuter/vaccinations/microchip at cost if we can raise the funds needed to cover it. I have done GoFundMe for another abandoned patient in the past who needed a critical surgery, and can do another for Caesar. Please let me know ASAP if you have room for Caesar or know anyone who does! I can help with transport if needed. He is very much on a time crunch and cannot stay with us for that much longer. Please e-mail or TEXT me directly if you are able to help Caesar! If you absolutely must call the hospital, please ask for my husband as he is Caesar's doctor and the one handling his case. Thank you for your time! Regards, Jen Whitaker, LVT Highway 58 Animal Hospital

Hamilton County
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37416