Letting Your Guard Down
- Jan 30, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 9, 2025
Letting Your Guard Down is a flyer I made after experiencing several adopted dogs go missing and too many not being found alive. It is utterly heartbreaking, and the goal of the flyer was to quickly grab people's attention and be a hook to get people interested in learning more about keeping pets safe.
Newly adopted dogs can have very different reactions entering a new home and each has their own timeline to settle in. Some dogs truly do settle in immediately but the majority don't and require time and patience. Some dogs will seem totally settled in and content but the smallest change can still spook them and cause them to run and try to escape. This is one of the second most common times a new dog will escape; when you think they are settled in and start to lower your guard, they will startle at something, catch you off guard, and before you know it they are gone. You can never be too cautious during the decompression period.
Ebbie (Ebenezer), Adrian, Jack, Alfie, Huey, and Little One are Pictured. These pups were lost and either never found or found deceased.
If you find an old picture of the Letting Your Guard Down flyer, you might notice a tan chihuahua pictured with Ebbie; her name is Matilde, and she is no longer on the flyer because, despite all odds, she was found safely 4 months later, 70 miles away from where she went missing and has since been adopted by a volunteer that worked with her before her being lost.
Two of my foster dogs (pictured above) were lost from adopters. Nyla (Nico) chewed through her leash while dining out with her adopters at Beyond Bread just two days after being adopted. Volunteers spent time tracking her and were able to successfully trap her in less than a week. Noelle was in and out of the shelter system several times. On her last stint in the shelter she was adopted and then noticed to be missing months later when a volunteer noticed her running the streets and was able to trap her. Both of these sweet pups were able to blossom into more outgoing dogs after months of being patient and working with them. While they may never be the most cuddly and social dogs, both would approach for pets and come whenever called.
Every dog is different and will react differently to situations but giving them time, patience, gaining their trust, and building their confidence will go a long way in making them a part of your family and keeping them safe.
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