Featured Pet: Mera

Mera’s story first starts when she was living in her previous home. The home consisted of a family with six children and another dog, who she was immensely bonded with. During her time there, she was mostly tied out on the porch with the other dog, not receiving much attention from her family or socialization with the outside world. At some point, the family decided that they could no longer care for the dogs and they were both surrendered to a kennel in Connecticut.

The other dog was much more confident than Mera, who was very shy and timid. She sought guidance from her canine sibling and needed his presence to feel reassured that everything was going to be okay, especially during a time like this. However, given how confident and more adoptable he was, the other dog was quickly adopted out from the kennel, leaving poor Mera alone. Between leaving the only life she’s ever known and losing her bonded friend, Mera needed help gaining confidence and strength to handle this next chapter of her life. A caretaker at the kennel contacted Our Companions to evaluate Mera’s case and to see how we can help this sweetheart.

At 2 years old, Mera came to a behavior evaluation at our Valerie Friedman Program Center in Manchester where it was evident how under-socialized she had been throughout her entire life. We knew with our reward-based training classes, it’d help encourage Mera to make great decisions and to find confidence within herself, as well as trust in the guidance of her friends. Therefore, Mera entered our Family Companions 1 training class, as well as private lessons with our team. With training, Mera’s confidence in meeting new people and new situations greatly improved. She learned so many skills, like sit, down, and paw, but also learned how to focus on her person in times she might feel anxious. This new chapter gave Mera the opportunity to grow and learn how to create trusting bonds with people!

With more training underneath her belt, Mera was ready for the next step in her life- getting adopted! Mera has such a calm, gentle demeanor and an absolute sweet soul- you can’t help but smile when she smiles! She’s still a shy, timid girl at first and can get a bit nervous meeting new people, but continued training with her next person would greatly help her continue to grow and blossom. She walks wonderfully on a leash and is a very happy girl, having an active lifestyle. Mera truly shines when she gets to run like the wind! Her worries seem to disappear and she can just let go and have fun! She runs laps, jumps over hurdles, and is quite the athlete! A fenced-in yard would be perfect for this sweetheart to get the exercise and enrichment she deserves!

Once she trusts you, she’ll follow you seeking love and attention! She’ll lean into you when she’s getting pets, just letting me know how much she trusts and appreciates you. She’s a very easy to please girl- she just wants to be your best friend and a wonderful companion! Though she was bonded with a dog previously, she has had no experience with other dogs and with a lack in dog socialization skills, it’d be best for Mera to be an only pet in her next home. Young children might also make Mera too anxious, therefore an adult/older teen home would be great for this fun-loving gal! Now at 3 years old, Mera continues to live at the kennel and is hoping she can find a home where she’ll continue to thrive and bond with people. Upon meeting this friendly girl, you can’t help but fall in love! To learn more about magnificent Mera, please contact our Helpline at 860-242-9999 or email [email protected]!