Look at this beautiful girl.  This young dog has already experienced more misery than an innocent animal should ever have to!  Sara was kept on a chain in a backyard, used for breeding, and BEATEN by her owner when she didn't do what he wanted, when he wanted. 

Sara is a loving, sweeet natured, quiet girl, who loves to give kisses.  She is starting to gain confidence, but can still be somewhat timid.  She is more comfortable with women, and tends to be especially fearful of men.  But once she does not feel threatened, she will 'work the room' cuddling up to everyone!  This girl will be a wonderful pet, but it will take some time, patience, guidance, and a lot of TLC. 

We are looking for a foster home who will be willing to spend some extra time and energy working with her and socializing her.  A home with another large dog would also be very beneficial, as dogs can learn quite a bit from each other!  


Please feel free to fill out a FOSTER or an ADOPTION APPLICATION on our main website, <a href=http://www.midwestanimalrescue.org>www.midwestanimalrescue.org</a>, by clicking on the Form/Applications link under Website Features.

Thank You!

UPDATE FROM SARA'S ADOPTIVE HOME, JULY 24TH, 2011:

Sara has become our Gemma (pronounced Jemma), and she is such a little love bug. She soaks up all the affection we can think to give her (we suspect she's a lap dog at heart, though she's definitely too big for that) and she's happy to be here with us where she gets plenty of attention and love.

As one of two German shepherds in our family (the other is Cascio, pronounced Kasho, our older dog), Gemma's had the chance to develop a strong bond with another dog. That's done her a lot of good, we think. Playing with Gemma is doing a lot to keep Cascio sprightly and young at heart, even though he's nearly 11-years-old.

Some of Gemma's other favorite things include going for runs to the park, settling in with a good chew toy, and, of course, yummy dog treats.

Before we adopted her, Sara (soon to be Gemma to us, of course) was tentative and fearful of plenty of things. She also got a wild look in her eyes when she was really nervous and uncertain. The presence of strangers brought on the wild look and the heavy panting that would then take a really long time to subside.

Many of our friends and family who met Gemma when we first brought her home have commented on how she's become a different dog in that regard. Her level of calmness when just hanging out with folks who don't live with us is pretty impressive. We think she's learned a lot from Cascio about how to act around unfamiliar people and dogs. Of course, she needs some time to get acclimated and comfortable and to truly relax (more so with dogs than people) but she's noticeably changed for the better. And we're so proud of her.

She's conquered a lot of fears. Going down to the basement is now a fun excursion rather than a terrifying prospect that is to be avoided at all costs. Stairs are easy, not scary. Hissing noises that come from things like bicycle tires and pressure cookers and the noise of a vacuum cleaner are still cause for moderate concern, but they are not cause for extreme fear. So that's a big improvement. Bathtime is absolutely no fun. But Gemma is willing to oblige us and go along with the process whenever it's necessary. Having her toenails clipped is not much fun either (Cascio agrees), but she's great about having her paws handled and she trusts that we won't hurt her.

Mostly, Gemma has just managed to fill up our hearts and has become such a vital addition to our family. We love her so so much. She is a truly joyful dog, which can been seen whenever she's playing, greeting us when we come home, or just happily soaking up affection.