Now she’s more confident than ever ❤️
When Faith, an 18-month-old pittie mix, gave birth to an unexpected litter of puppies, her owners banished her to the backyard. Confined in a dirty crate, Faith knew only fear and loneliness until a concerned neighbor stepped in.
Through a network of rescues, Faith landed at Happy Paws Rescue. The organization knew Faith needed an experienced foster who could go the extra mile for this terrified girl.
Enter: Kaitlyn Marcinkowski.
“When [Happy Paws Rescue] asked if I could help, my answer was simple,” Marcinkowski told The Dodo. “‘Can I get her tonight?’”
From the get-go, Marcinkowski recognized Faith craved gentleness. Instead of making Faith walk from the car into her new foster home, Marcinkowski carried the terrified dog inside.
“Carrying her started as a way to help,” Marcinkowski said. “She was often too scared to walk, and we weren’t going to force her to.”
In the first few days at Marcinkowski’s house, Faith refused to leave her crate. It was the only environment she knew, and the familiarity must have been comforting.
“She trembled around people, and she wouldn’t even use the bathroom for two whole days,” Marcinkowski said. “It broke my heart to see such a sweet girl so scared of the world.”
Faith cowered when anything moved or made noise. Her tail hung between her legs as though she’d done something wrong, even though she hadn’t. Marcinkowski praised the sweet dog to remind her how brave she was.
“Our plan to earn her trust was simple — patience and positive reinforcement,” Marcinkowski said. “We gave her space, let her set the pace and watched her cues.”
Sure enough, Faith slowly warmed to Marcinkowski. After four days with her foster family, Faith jumped up on the bed to snuggle.
“Carrying helped her feel secure,” Marcinkowski said. “Now she hops on the bed, striking her best little pick-me-up pose.”
Faith demonstrated just how brave she’d become when, after playtime in the yard, she walked back inside for the first time on her own. Being outside wasn’t a punishment anymore; it was fun.
“One of her silliest habits [is] anytime we’re outside, she runs straight to the grass and rolls onto her back for belly rubs,” Marcinkowski said.
While Faith waits for her forever family, she continues to grow more confident every day. Marcinkowski joked on Instagram that anyone interested in adopting Faith should be able to “lift and carry 50 [pounds] of princess beefcake.”
After everything Faith has been through, she deserves nothing less.