About Mama Bear

Hi, My boyfriend (Kyri) and I have been fostering a dog through Dekalb County Animal Services in Atlanta, Georgia. Her name is listed as 'Betty' at the shelter but we call her 'Mama Bear'. Mama Bear (we started calling her that and it's stuck) was found locked in a closet during an eviction, while the only puppy found was left alone in the adjacent room. Kyri's step father, Mike was an officer on duty and sent us pictures the day Mama Bear and her puppy were found. It broke our hearts and we wanted to help in any way we could. I think our hearts were bigger than our ability to care for three dogs (one being a 21-day old puppy at that time). Kyri already has one rescue named Hank. If Mama Bear was the only dog in the home this would be a different story and we wouldn't let her go. Unfortunately, with our travel schedules both Kyri and myself will be out of the state for days at the time and can't provide the love we feel is necessary to all three animals while both working demanding jobs. Like I said earlier, our hearts were bigger than our ability to think responsibly about what we could do, therefore we were unable to foster mama bear any further. She is a wonderful, loving dog. We were able to take care of her through her surgery and recovery. She was spayed on 9/14. She has ears and a smile that reminds me of Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch). She just wants to be loved and will reciprocate any love and affection 1000x. Her big (pitty) smile and affection will have you hooked within seconds after meeting her in person. Basically, she's a kid at heart and just wants to play, maybe making up for lost time. You can push, pull, and twist with equal playfulness. She loves the outdoors and quiet places, alike. She loves leaving the house as much as she loves being out-of-the-way and to herself. As a treat, she loves time on the couch or in the bed and will fall asleep immediately after access to either! We very tearfully returned her to DeKalb County Animal Services in hopes of finding her a foster home. It was a very hard decision for us. During the time we have fostered her, she has highlighted her desire to play, loyalty, and intelligence. I do not know her background, but a couple actions have indicated that she was treated poorly. Despite this, Mama Bear is a sweet and gentle-natured dog. Regrettably, after returning to the kennel Mama Bears anxiety levels spiked as the environment is not a nurturing one. The stresses of that environment weren't working for Mama Bear and DCAS reached out to us asking for help. Due to the urgency of Mama Bear's placement needs verses the demands of DCAS we took her back into our home. We couldn't see her euthanized as she is such a loving dog. Since returning to our home we've continued to work on training for Mama Bear. We even sent her to three weeks of off-leash k-9 training to help her be ready for her forever home placement. (follow the link before to see how much she's thrived). Off leash k-9 training is nationwide and refresher classes are free for Mama Bear's entire life. I could continue with more wonderful details about Mama Bear but there is a reason I'm reaching out to you. Once again, Mama Bear was never supposed to be a permanent part of our home, however we adore her. She's been with us off and on for over 5 months now. We've reached a very difficult point where we do not feel that we are able to provide the attention and support she needs due to a busy out of state travel schedule for us both. It's unfair to her to have to spend so much time crated. Do you know of a rescue group that could help us or do you have any advice? Due to the overcrowding and the nature of the animal shelter, we've been led to believe that Mama Bear could be euthanized if we do not find her a home. She's too good of a dog for us to allow that to happen but we've reached a point where we feel like we aren't able to provide her the love and support she needs. We have obviously failed at fostering/rescuing and are seeking any help, advice, or guidance to find Mama bear a loving home or rescue shelter. Is your group currently accessing new dogs at this time? Please take a look at this videos to see mama bear in action. We also can have a reference from the trainer about her behaviors with other animals as well as a third-party view on her behavior throughout training. https://www.facebook.com/shares/view?id=1960675363980946&av=198502205 Multiple Commands at UGA: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5zd2rifitb0mw6g/UGA Multi Commands.mp4?dl=0 Dick's Sporting Goods Check-Out: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wt7ih7mamx7r0vc/Dick's Check Out.mp4?dl=0 Feel Free to call or email Kyri or I with questions or suggestions Carrie Kyri Ioannou [email protected] 770.296.4060 Carrie Brown [email protected] 404.977.2605

DeKalb County
Atlanta, Georgia