- April 20, 2024
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Justice got a make-over from dog fighting to family pet, thanks to the effort of a lot of people. Courtesy photo HHS
When an individual found Justice wandering the streets he had cuts and lacerations that indicated he had been part of a dog fighting group. Courtesy photo HHS
When Justice left the Halifax Humane Society with his new family, he was a happy, trusting and well-trained 1 ½-year-old dog. Nothing like the battered dog brought into the shelter in January. The dog’s multiple injuries and lacerations were evidence that this young dog had been used for dog fighting.
During the next few weeks Justice’s life changed for the better, starting with the person who found him, and took the time to take him to the Halifax Humane Society.
Every dog that enters the shelter goes through an ASPCA SAFER assessment that is a consistent method for evaluating the probability of canine aggression in individual dogs. Justice also was tested and the first evidence of the dog’s even temperament was seen.
For the next weeks staff veterinarian Jennifer Green and HHS Animal Behavior Manager Emily Dombrowski worked to transform the scared dog into an animal that someone would want for a pet.
“Very soon we saw who Justice was and his personality started to develop,” Dombrowski said. “Even though he came from a fighting situation he is social with other dogs.”
Justice proved to be so social; he became the dog the staff would use for SAFER testing for new dogs coming into the shelter.
Dombrowski taught the dog to sit, come when called and walk properly on a leash, all characteristics that caught one family’s attention.
The family that adopted Justice (they requested their name not be used) wrote to the humane society and included a photo of the dog in his new home.
“Thank you guys again from the bottom of my heart for bringing us together! I can’t even remember what it was like before we had him,” Justice’s new owner wrote.
Dombrowski said, “It’s why we do what we do.”
