Lydia Grande, of Fredericksburg, began volunteering at Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) two years ago, pitching in with walking dogs, cleaning the facility, transporting the rescues to the veterinarian and picking pups up from shelters to bring to ODHS. Though she enjoyed all aspects of volunteering, she found her niche was caring for senior rescue dogs. Her caring nature and patience helped the frightened new arrivals learn they could trust humans.
“I chose to foster because there are so many lovable dogs in the facility,” said Grande. “I can’t save them all, but I can help one more get adopted by loving it until it finds a forever family.”
Grande has a soft spot for senior dogs, because, at times, they come with some challenges. Being older, a lot of them are scared of being in the rescue facility. She feels she makes the biggest impact with these dogs, who have lived their lives and are pretty settled in temperament.
As part of the transport team to bring dogs from other shelters to ODHS, she picked up Rambo, an eight-year-old mixed breed. He was surrendered by his original owners, and she was told he was a biter and aggressive. At only 21 pounds, it was hard to think he could be hard to handle, but it took three staff members to put a leash on the frightened pup.
As Grande tried to lift him into her car, he protested and attempted to bite her. She said the dog looked absolutely petrified, so she let him get into the car by himself. For the first few weeks at his foster home with Grande, he’d cower when approached and flinch if someone reached out to pet him. Loud noises and sudden movements were especially scary for Rambo. Known for her patience, Grande was on hand to provide him with support and be a constant presence by his side. One day, the love she gave Rambo finally paid off, and she won his trust.
Rambo slowly warmed up to Grande, who’d give him his space, food and the occasional pet. The breakthrough came a few weeks after arriving at his foster home when Grande woke up in the middle of the night to find the pup staring at her. He walked over to her and nuzzled her hand, and Grande pet him. Then, he allowed her to pick him up and place him on the bed, where he flopped down and let her pet his head and belly. The reward and best moment of Grande’s week was when he gave her kisses.
“This is why we foster—to restore hope,” said Grande. “I’d like to think Rambo sees the good in the world, and I see the goodness in him.”
Grande has “foster failed” twice while at ODHS. She adopted Little Man and Willow, who are her best four-legged friends. She keeps an open “third dog spot” in her home for a rotating foster. Grande knows she can’t adopt every dog she fosters, because her mission is to help more dogs find their forever families. By taking in senior dogs and letting them know the world isn’t all bad, she provides a safe space and plenty of love to help them overcome their mistrust and fear of humans.
Rambo is available for adoption. Check out Rambo’s profile and fill out an Adoption Survey to schedule a meet-and-greet!