Ruby Doo

About a month ago, we started fostering another pair of dogs—Ruby and her companion Bear. We were never quite sure if they were siblings or mother and son, since they came from a difficult situation. Bear found his forever home quickly, but Ruby's journey has been more complicated.

Ruby did have someone interested in adopting her—a wonderful woman who drove nearly four hours to meet her. Unfortunately, when she arrived, Ruby was overwhelmed with fear and barked the entire time. The woman left without her, and Ruby stayed with us.

We believe Ruby spent most of her life caged and possibly abused. She shows telltale signs of trauma—the day I removed my belt, she became the most pitiful sight you've ever seen, cowering in fear. She's also deeply uncomfortable in crowds or new places, likely because she's had such limited exposure to normal life experiences.

We've been working hard to build her confidence and expand her world. After work each afternoon, we take her to Home Depot and Lowe's just to walk around and meet people. The transformation has been remarkable. She's slowly coming out of her shell, learning that strangers don't mean harm. Now she's even starting to approach people on her own instead of hiding behind us in the stores.

Despite her fears, Ruby is a true snuggler—a lap dog through and through. She spends her evenings curled up in Lara's lap while we watch TV, or sitting with her during the workday. She's also gotten along wonderfully with Gordon and Belle.

All of this backstory is really just an excuse to share some photos of this beautiful girl. Here's Ruby in all her different moods and moments: