Happy Jack came to me after my first foster dog, Buddy, was successfully adopted into a great home. Buddy was with me for a little over a month, and riding the wave of excitement, I agreed to take on another dog, and that's when Happy Jack came to me.
Happy Jack had been found abandoned in a ditch, and based on his behavior, I am certain he was abused. He had never really lived in a home environment, so my first few months with him were-- let's just say--challenging. (Surprisingly, he was housebroken and I never had problems with him going in the house at all)
Rescued dogs may carry with them the emotional scars and baggage we don't know or fully understand, but that doesn't mean they will never overcome it. They can not tell us about their past, but they do communicate to us humans in many other ways that we just have to interpret. That was the case of Happy Jack.
I will confess there were many times I wanted to give up on Happy Jack. Thanks to the wonderful support of other volunteers at the Gadsden Humane Society, however, I continued to do my best to work with him. We developed a tremendous bond and he was deeply attached to me, which proved even more difficult in placing him in a new home. I would take him over to a prospective new family for a "sleepover," only to be asked the next day to pick him up.
It was my biggest fear that no one would see Happy Jack as I did as he grew to become overly affectionate, loyal, and eager to please. As he became more confident, I witnessed his transformation from the timid, shy, and emaciated dog, into a very wonderful companion.