Everyone was so happy and thankful to know that Yankee got a clean bill of health at the vet! He didn’t have heartworms or any other serious diseases, which were huge concerns, since he had been abandoned for so long.
But, one thing Yankee did need fixing was his fur. His fur was seriously matted and filled with dirt. He was in serious need of being groomed and having a bath.
Yankee Slowly Started to Warm Up to the Hope for Paws Team
In the back of the van, Yankee felt comfortable going into the crate, but only if the door was left open. The trust was still building between Yankee and the team, but it was getting there. About halfway through the car ride, Yankee came out of the crate and onto the passenger seat to hang out with the team.
From his actions, the team was confident Yankee was making progress, and that he would completely warm up to them in no time.
It Was Time for Yankee to See the Vet
Now that Yankee was somewhat settled with the team, it was time to take him to see a veterinarian. The most important thing was to make sure Yankee had nothing seriously wrong with him.
Even though he looked okay on the outside, they did not know if he had heartworms or some other serious disease. The team at Hope for Paws were all hoping for the best.
The Team Realized Just How Serious Yankee's Trust Issues Were
The team knew Yankee had some trust issues from the start, but they had no idea how bad they were. The volunteers left the veterinarian office with Yankee, and they took him to go get groomed.
As the groomers started to clean Yankee, his trust issues were made abundantly clear. But they had seen stray pups like this in the past, so they knew this is the behavior of a dog who has been neglected.
Yankee Hadn’t Received Any Affection His Entire Life
The Hope for Paws team had worked with many stray dogs, but none were quite like Yankee. A lot of stray dogs are scared and timid of human interaction because they have been neglected, but they soon realized Yankee hadn’t even received any human affection his entire life.
This poor pup was never properly loved, taken care of, or socialized, so no wonder he was terrified of humans. This left the crew absolutely heartbroken.