Adoption update: One dog’s incredible transformation

A few years ago, if you were to ask people at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary which dog was most likely to visit people in assisted living, hop into the mail person’s truck with a happy wagging tail, and greet every stranger like a new friend, the last dog they’d guess would be Raquel. They loved her, but she only returned the feeling to a few select folks. Everyone else? She scared them away by lunging and snapping.

[Dog Body Language: Signs of Comfort, Stress, and More]

It’s no wonder that people weren’t lining up to adopt her when she so loudly protested anyone new even looking at her. So, for years, Raquel trusted only a small circle of Best Friends caregivers. But just like they work with all the dogs who come to the Sanctuary, those friends kept working with her to gently show her that new people can be friends, not foes. By the time volunteer Penny Black met her, she’d softened just enough to change the course of her life in ways no one could have imagined.

Penny had been making trips to the Sanctuary to volunteer for years. She had a mission for her trip in 2023 though: She wanted to adopt a dog — but not just any dog. “I was looking for a senior dog, especially someone who was not likely to be adopted,” Penny says. She jokes that she wanted a “cranky girl” who could use a companion.

Best Friends caregiver Ben O’Riordan-Tingley introduced her to Raquel. To establish a friendship, Ben took Raquel for a walk with Penny walking beside them. “We went on about three walks before I could even hold the leash because she did not accept strangers at all,” Penny says.

Raquel was just what she had in mind with her hope of adopting a dog who might be unlikely to go home otherwise. In watching her respond to her caregivers at the Sanctuary, Penny only had one thought: “I hope she will love me as much as that one day.”

[‘Diamond in the rough’ dog loved just as she is]

She made things official and adopted Raquel. “I never expected her to be a social butterfly, and I was OK with that,” Penny says. “I was looking for a companion, and she is exactly that.” But Raquel is full of surprises.

She’s been home with Penny now for three years. She has a new name: Poppy. And recently Penny sent an update about the “cranky” dog she adopted that is one of the best we’ve ever gotten.

Penny wanted to make sure that Raquel’s caregivers saw it. And we want everyone to see it because it’s a reminder of how much things can change when a pet has a home.

Raquel/Poppy has turned out to be quite remarkable considering how barky, bitey, and uncomfortable with strangers she was. She was there (at the Sanctuary) for a long time and had relationships with many individual caregivers and volunteers. It all got saved in her brain somehow.

Every single minute every one of you spent with her over 10 years — both she and I are receiving the benefit now. She is sweet, calm, relaxed, friendly, snuggly, and silly. A Velcro girl who goes everywhere with me. She’s a wonderful companion for me. She’s confident in new settings. And everyone is her friend!

I want to recognize and encourage all of you about how important all those minutes are for every dog, even the ones like Raquel who people might think can't get adopted. I am so grateful for all those minutes you spent with her. She learned how to love and trust from you, even though apparently life was stressful and fear took over there sometimes and caused inappropriate behavior.

She is a completely different dog. I did not do any training other than front door manners. I just made sure in the beginning to give her a lot of space, so she would never fail. Don’t look, don't touch, don’t talk for the first few weeks. She never had any opportunity to bark, lunge, or be aggressive. We went on lots and lots of walks exploring, smelling, and looking at her new environment — people and dogs who would eventually be in her life.

Over time, she has transitioned. And now EVERY single human being she encounters is her friend. She goes up to everyone, does a sniff, and then asks for treats. I mean EVERYONE. She will pull me across the street to say hello. She treats people she meets for the first time the same as her regular friends.

She is not a certified therapy dog, but we visit folks at a nursing home. She goes into a busy lobby, up an elevator, and we visit with those interested in her. She loves the attention and head and ear scratches. I also volunteer at an assisted-living facility and am there a few times a week. She has oodles of friends there. And she does well among some people who have dementia and isn’t bothered by walkers and wheelchairs.

She is calm, sweet, loves getting petted, checks everyone's pockets, sits on their feet, and snuggles with all of them. It’s really quite amazing. I can take her into a room with 10 people, and she will “work the room," going from person to person to say hello and of course hoping for a treat. I am always a proud mom when she is so trusting. But I did not teach her that. You did that during all those minutes over 13 years.

She has jumped into the mail truck, the UPS and Amazon truck, into strangers’ golf carts, just to say hello. She just thinks they are all stopping out front to visit her.

There are lots of funny and heartwarming moments of all her "firsts" — probably much the same as all of you have had with other dogs. One in particular happened at our first vet visit. She was nervous, and I was nervous, with muzzle in one hand and treats in the other. My vet said no to the muzzle. He sat on the floor and had the vet tech bring in the office cat. I begged him not to do that. I was sure she would attack the cat. But Raquel/Poppy was mesmerized. Our vet did the whole exam with that cat on his lap. I was stunned. We have since had many vet visits. She doesn't bat an eye. On a recent visit, they took her into the back, lifted her on the X-ray table, and did a whole set of X-rays without sedation or a muzzle.

I am so grateful for all the caregivers and volunteers in her life. I want them to know how important they are in her being such a really great companion for me. But most importantly, she is benefiting every day from what she learned over the collective moments there. All I did was give her some space to be herself.

She is slowing down a bit. She sleeps more and has arthritis in her hips. Now she walks very slowly but still tries to chase wild turkeys, rabbits, and squirrels. She gets to dig holes, go swimming, and come home with muddy feet. All the normal dog stuff. She will go out in any weather, including the Pacific Northwest’s long rainy season.

I picked out some photos of her first time meeting people. Some of these folks are now her regular friends, and some I don't know who they are at all.

Hope they are not too boring for you since you see dogs all day long. I am so proud of her and also so happy when I see her feeling happy. I really give the credit to her years at Best Friends and the time you all spent with her.

— Penny

Our goal at Best Friends is to support all animal shelters in the U.S. in reaching no-kill. No-kill means saving every dog and cat in a shelter who can be saved, accounting for community safety and good quality of life for pets. 

Shelter staff can’t do it alone. Saving animals in shelters is everyone’s responsibility, and it takes support and participation from the community. No-kill is possible when we work together thoughtfully, honestly, and collaboratively.