11/23/2025
Courtesy post. Do you know someone who could be the right home for Atlas? 🐾
‼️ Update Nov 28 - foster to adopt trial in progress 🎉
💔 Urgent: Atlas Needs a Pet-Free Foster-to-Adopt Home 💔
So, this is really, really tough for me... but I need to swallow my ego and do what's best for the dogs.... staying with me until Atlas gets adopted is not what's best, unfortunately, and I need your help to find him the right place, as soon as possible.
He's been making a lot of progress with his decompression, feeling safe enough to eat regular meals, and play with toys, and chew on bones. It's made my heart so happy...
And also so sad....
Because while he is with us, he is highly reactive to my dogs.
He simply cannot manage when they are anywhere except in their crates, upstairs in my bedroom, with the door closed.
We have been implementing an extremely strict separation protocol, but it's taking a toll on everyone, especially Atlas and my own pups.
For example:
For potty breaks, I need to have Atlas outside before I even remove my dogs from their crates. Then my two go downstairs, out the other door, do their business, and then back upstairs to their crates before we let Atlas back inside. But he also cannot be alone right now, so I need to have someone stay with either him outside, or be with him while someone else cares for my dogs.
It's been the only way to keep him under threshold.
The constant management is just not sustainable. He had a tough night hearing my dogs last night, and they are starting to create an aversion to their crates from being in them so much.
Not only is this set up not fair to anyone, it's preventing Atlas from truly settling and starting his training.
For example, last night, I had hoped to leave my dogs in the mudroom overnight to give them more space and movement.
Atlas was outside while I took them out for a p*e and set them up in there, so he didn't know they were there or see them at all.
When he came inside, he heard them moving around, and it was all over from there.
For the rest of night, I was back and forth between the dog rooms, trying to calm everyone as best I could, which finally happened around 5am.
And so, despite my deep desire to help this boy (and feeling like a failure because it's not working out), I need to help find him a pet free home to go to as soon as possible.
A Foster-to-Adopt would be ideal as I REALLY don't want to move this guy around any more. He's been bounced around enough... he deserves stability, predictability, and consistency.
He needs to learn that he can trust his people and they will stay "his people".
He's never had that before...
Please, please share this far and wide.
He has been fantastic with my children, although they are very dog savvy older kids at 9, 10, and 13 and know to just leave him alone and let him come to them. We also all practice consent tests with him, as he really wants to be close, but doesn't always want to be touched.
He is truly the most wonderful boy when he's close to his person. He WANTS to be close, he yearns for connection and safety.
He is fabulous in the car, and is quickly learning that a tight leash means come back to the human.
We are also going to begin slow and steady muzzle training, as well in hopes that, once he's regulated, he can meet new dog friends safely.
Important notes about Atlas:
🐾 Reactive: he is highly dog reactive right now, and does want to chase cats, so he cannot be in a home with other pets. That's not to say he'll never be able to live with other pets, but we need to build that skill slowly.
🐾 Houdini Alert: He is a determined pup and can be a master escape artist if motivated. We have crib rails for gates up everywhere in our house right now, with at least three barriers at all times, yet, if I am upstairs with my dogs, he can Houdini through the gate maze to find me.
🐾 Currently experiencing separation distress: This is likely due to the lack of consistency in his life and *may* (I feel it will likely) disappear once he feels fully settled and trusting with his new people... but patience and closeness will be required initially.
🐾 Crate aversion: he is not yet crate trained. He will go inside and walk around the crate, but he is very uncomfortable with having the door closed and locked. It's hard to say why, but we are also working on this skill slowly.
All of these are 100% workable things for a patient, dedicated adopter. He is intelligent and ready to learn, but he cannot begin to heal and learn skills while living with his triggers (and my dogs and cats are triggering).
I am heartbroken that I can’t be his solution, but I am NOT giving up on him!
I am fully willing to provide my complete support, guidance, training, and resources... all of it, at no additional cost to the adopter. I just want the best for him.
Please, please SHARE THIS POST FAR AND WIDE.
Let’s get this determined, sweet, loving boy into the stable, safe, pet-free home he needs to finally thrive.
I know there is someone out there looking for someone to love and keep them company, who is willing to learn what it takes to have this gorgeous guy live his best life... let's find them!
Currently living in Darlings Lake, all adoption requests must go through J&M Foster For Cats, Nova Scotia. Message me if you want more information about my observations on Atlas these past few days!
