Gemma is a tiny Shiba Inu with a sweet soul and a brave little spirit. She’s currently in foster care learning a very big lesson: people can be safe, loving, and kind.
While she isn't quite ready for pets, cuddles, or handling just yet, she loves being near her humans and is making wonderful progress every single day at her own pace.
🌟 What Makes Gemma Shine: Dog & Cat Friendly: A kind, confident resident dog is required in her forever home, as she looks to other dogs for comfort and confidence. She’s also done great around cats! 🐱
House Skills: She’s about 90% potty trained, does great with kenneling, and seamlessly goes in and out of the house without needing to be handled or leashed.
Treat Enthusiast: She’s actively working on taking treats directly from her foster mom’s hand! 🦴
🏡 Her Ideal Setup: Securely Fenced Yard: Because Gemma is tiny and still fearful, a fully secure yard (no gaps or weak spots!) is a must.
No Leash Pressure: Leashes still make her panic, so her new home needs a layout where she can safely go outside without being leashed or picked up.
A Patient Heart: Gemma needs a gentle family that understands her timeline. Touch will come, but she needs the space to offer it on her own terms.
Watching a dog like Gemma learn to trust is one of the most rewarding journeys you will ever take. Every small win feels like winning the lottery! 🏆
The amount of love, support, and concern you’ve shown Percy has been overwhelming in the best possible way. We’ve read your comments, messages, and words of encouragement, and they have meant so much to all of us.
We know many of you have been waiting for an update. We apologize that it took a little longer to share one, but we wanted to give Percy some time to decompress. As we expected, the emotional wounds he carries run much deeper than the physical ones.
Right now, Percy is incredibly shut down. New people are overwhelming, and his first instinct is to disappear. If he had his way, he’d simply become invisible whenever someone unfamiliar walked into the room.
But even through all of that fear… we’re seeing little glimpses of hope.
Over the past week, Percy has made some incredible progress. He’s started to realize that gentle hands can be kind, that soft voices can be trusted, and he’s even shared a few sweet kisses along the way. Those small moments may not seem like much, but for Percy, they are huge victories.
Tonight, Percy moves into his permanent foster home, where he’ll have the stability, patience, and unconditional love he needs to heal. It won’t happen overnight. This journey will take time, and there will be setbacks. Trauma doesn’t disappear in a few days.
But one thing is certain, Percy will never have to face it alone again.
We made a promise to Percy, and we’re making that same promise to all of you: what happened to Percy will never happen to him again. He is safe. He is loved. And every single person on our team is committed to helping him become the happy, confident dog he was always meant to be.
Many of you have also asked how you can help. Percy does need some veterinary care to get him back into great physical condition. Thankfully, his medical needs aren’t extensive. More importantly, we want to invest in the things that will help heal his heart, high-value treats, enrichment toys, and positive experiences that teach him people can be trusted again.
Every tail wag. Every kiss. Every tiny step forward is because people like you believed Percy deserved another chance.
Please continue to keep Percy in your thoughts as he begins this next chapter. We can’t wait for the day we get to show you the dog that’s been hiding behind all that fear. ❤️
🐾 Donate to his care: Venmo: @ndlb-donation (under Chariss Nearmyer; code 0442. Note “Percy”) PayPal: donations@ndlbrescue.org PaySimple: ndlbrescue.mypaysimple.com/s/one-time-donation Facebook: Use the donate button on this post 🐾 Share this post with your friends, family & coworkers ... See MoreSee Less
Gemma is a tiny Shiba Inu with a sweet soul and a brave little spirit. She’s currently in foster care learning a very big lesson: people can be safe, loving, and kind.
While she isn't quite ready for pets, cuddles, or handling just yet, she loves being near her humans and is making wonderful progress every single day at her own pace.
🌟 What Makes Gemma Shine:
Dog & Cat Friendly: A kind, confident resident dog is required in her forever home, as she looks to other dogs for comfort and confidence. She’s also done great around cats! 🐱
House Skills: She’s about 90% potty trained, does great with kenneling, and seamlessly goes in and out of the house without needing to be handled or leashed.
Treat Enthusiast: She’s actively working on taking treats directly from her foster mom’s hand! 🦴
🏡 Her Ideal Setup:
Securely Fenced Yard: Because Gemma is tiny and still fearful, a fully secure yard (no gaps or weak spots!) is a must.
No Leash Pressure: Leashes still make her panic, so her new home needs a layout where she can safely go outside without being leashed or picked up.
A Patient Heart: Gemma needs a gentle family that understands her timeline. Touch will come, but she needs the space to offer it on her own terms.
Watching a dog like Gemma learn to trust is one of the most rewarding journeys you will ever take. Every small win feels like winning the lottery! 🏆
ndlbrescue.org/adoptable-dogs/#action_0=pet&animalID_0=22558526&petIndex_0=16 ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
❤️ Percy Update ❤️
First, we want to say thank you.
The amount of love, support, and concern you’ve shown Percy has been overwhelming in the best possible way. We’ve read your comments, messages, and words of encouragement, and they have meant so much to all of us.
We know many of you have been waiting for an update. We apologize that it took a little longer to share one, but we wanted to give Percy some time to decompress. As we expected, the emotional wounds he carries run much deeper than the physical ones.
Right now, Percy is incredibly shut down. New people are overwhelming, and his first instinct is to disappear. If he had his way, he’d simply become invisible whenever someone unfamiliar walked into the room.
But even through all of that fear… we’re seeing little glimpses of hope.
Over the past week, Percy has made some incredible progress. He’s started to realize that gentle hands can be kind, that soft voices can be trusted, and he’s even shared a few sweet kisses along the way. Those small moments may not seem like much, but for Percy, they are huge victories.
Tonight, Percy moves into his permanent foster home, where he’ll have the stability, patience, and unconditional love he needs to heal. It won’t happen overnight. This journey will take time, and there will be setbacks. Trauma doesn’t disappear in a few days.
But one thing is certain, Percy will never have to face it alone again.
We made a promise to Percy, and we’re making that same promise to all of you: what happened to Percy will never happen to him again. He is safe. He is loved. And every single person on our team is committed to helping him become the happy, confident dog he was always meant to be.
Many of you have also asked how you can help. Percy does need some veterinary care to get him back into great physical condition. Thankfully, his medical needs aren’t extensive. More importantly, we want to invest in the things that will help heal his heart, high-value treats, enrichment toys, and positive experiences that teach him people can be trusted again.
Every tail wag. Every kiss. Every tiny step forward is because people like you believed Percy deserved another chance.
Please continue to keep Percy in your thoughts as he begins this next chapter. We can’t wait for the day we get to show you the dog that’s been hiding behind all that fear. ❤️
🐾 Donate to his care:
Venmo: @ndlb-donation (under Chariss Nearmyer; code 0442. Note “Percy”)
PayPal: donations@ndlbrescue.org
PaySimple: ndlbrescue.mypaysimple.com/s/one-time-donation
Facebook: Use the donate button on this post
🐾 Share this post with your friends, family & coworkers ... See MoreSee Less
8 CommentsComment on Facebook