Water-loving dog finds confidence after a rough start

Sunshine, silliness, and splashing in the water make for Boston’s perfect afternoon, as long as she’s got a few friends around. But this black-and-white hound mix wasn’t always so ready to swim off on another adventure.

When Boston first arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, she didn’t feel safe around new people at all. She’d come from a difficult situation where she wasn’t treated well. Not only did the team at the Sanctuary want to take care of her and shower her with love, but helping her feel more comfortable around new people would be important to placing her in a new home.

She’d receive all the time and care she needed to come out of her shell, so she could meet potential adopters with confidence and joy.

For Best Friends, it’s not only about a single dog like Boston. The Sanctuary plays a role in saving lives by taking in pets who may need more time or care to get adopted. And the tides had turned for Boston.

Boston set the pace for her progress. Some days she’d accept a gentle stroke here and there, but other days she simply wanted to exist alongside her dog friends.

As they got to know her, caregivers found that the secret to gaining Boston’s trust was going on a walk with her or playing her favorite game: fetch. After a few rounds of playing fetch with someone new, Boston would go from avoiding them to coming right over to say hello.

Helping an anxious dog is all fun and games

As her confidence bloomed, Boston started going out on adventures with a volunteer whom she’d grown to trust. They’d take trips to the creek and go for hikes on trails in the area surrounding the Sanctuary.

Then, her caregivers began introducing her to other volunteers, who took her on outings as well. With each adventure, Boston learned that new people meant fun times were ahead.

One very big thing stuck out during her adventures with volunteers and staff: Boston couldn’t get enough playtime in water. “She loves the hose. If you turn a spigot on, she goes running toward it,” Best Friends caregiver Natalie Nilsen says.

Caregivers found that adding playtime in the water to the mix helped Boston learn to trust new people faster.

Her best day ever includes her new friends, a ball, and the Sanctuary’s dog park pool. “She’ll play fetch, get the ball all sandy, go lie in the pool, clean her ball off, and then do it all over again,” Natalie says.

Dogs cool off at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Bonus points if there's a bubble machine, so this sporty girl can zoom after the magical floating toys that pop when she catches them.

On a warm afternoon, you’ll often find Boston stretched out in the pool, tennis ball nearby, ready for someone to toss it one more time. Now that she’s learned to let people into her world, it’s a pretty great way to spend the day.

For a dog who once didn’t feel safe around new people, Boston’s poolside joy is more than playtime — it’s proof of how far she’s come on her path to a new home.

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.