09/19/2026
STILL NO LUCK. ZIGGY NEEDS A FOSTER ASAP OR HIS OWNER IS GOING TO DUMP HIM AT A SHELTER!!!!! There has to be someone out there with a home with a fully fenced in yard that can foster him...
Ziggy is 5 years old and 28 lbs.
He is potty trained!
We hate that we are making yet another post looking for a foster for Ziggy. We hate even more that this sweet dog has spent so much of his life being passed around, returned, and left wondering where he belongs.
We rescued Ziggy from euthanasia in Houston in February. After getting him to Colorado, we learned that he had been a frequent flyer at that same Houston shelter for several years. Clearly, he had never had the stability he deserved. We suspect he was primarily an outside dog who repeatedly escaped, and eventually, whoever owned him simply stopped coming back for him.
When Ziggy arrived in Colorado, he was adopted. His adopter realized that Ziggy had some leash reactivity. We want to be very clear about what that means. Ziggy is NOT a dog who hates other dogs. In fact, he does well with other dogs at doggy daycare, and he gets along with dogs in a home when everyone is off leash. His issue is specifically being restrained on a leash and seeing another dog. He barks and cannot meet another dog while on leash. This is incredibly common in rescue dogs, especially dogs who have had unstable lives, and it is something we see all the time. It does not mean that a dog is aggressive or cannot live happily with other dogs.
Unfortunately, his adopter wanted a dog who could enjoy neighborhood walks with him. About two weeks after adoption, he began talking to us about returning Ziggy.
For roughly three months, he went back and forth with us. He said he loved Ziggy, but he wanted a dog he could walk around the neighborhood. Eventually, about five months after adopting him, he decided he wanted to return Ziggy to us.
The problem was that we did not have the right foster home for Ziggy. We knew he needed something very specific: a quiet, calm home with a yard, ideally with someone who is retired or works from home. Because Ziggy was happy in his home and had now been there for five months, we asked his adopter to keep him temporarily while we continued looking for the right foster.
We posted. We asked. We searched. We tried. We could not find one.
Eventually, his owner told us that if we didn't take Ziggy back immediately, he was going to take him to a shelter.
So we had no choice. We took Ziggy back and placed him in boarding. Ziggy was understandably sad and confused. He had just been ripped away from the only home he had known for the last five months and was suddenly in a boarding facility. Although he does well at doggy daycare, boarding was difficult for him and he was not happy.
The very next day, his former owner called us crying. He said he had made a mistake. He wanted Ziggy back. He wanted to keep him. Of course, we were thrilled! Ziggy would get to go back home where he is happy!!!
He took Ziggy back.
The next day, he called us and said never mind. He didn't want him anymore and wanted us to take him back, again.
We explained that Ziggy was already anxious and unhappy from everything that had happened and that this constant back-and-forth was not fair to him… but, here we are again.
We are now receiving calls from his "owner" saying that he wants Ziggy out of his house and that we need to find him a foster. Today he let us know that he will bring him to a shelter if we cannot find him a foster.
So we are asking again.
Please. Someone give Ziggy a chance to finally feel safe.
Ziggy is a GOOD dog. He does NOT need some elaborate rehabilitation plan.
He just needs a quiet place where he is wanted. He needs a yard.
A fenced yard is ideal because walks are stressful for him. If he has a yard to run around and potty in, he can happily live his life without being put into the situation that causes him anxiety. His foster does not need to become an expert in leash reactivity because, ideally, Ziggy simply won't need to walk around the neighborhood.
He is a tad shy with new people but warms up fast.
He does well with other dogs in the home and off leash, so a foster with another friendly, socially appropriate dog could be a great fit. Or a home without a dog is great for him also. Either way. The important thing is understanding that Ziggy just can’t be introduced to another dog when he is on leash.
Someone who is retired or works from home would be an ideal foster for him, as he’s sad when alone, but never destructive. He can stay loose in the living room without getting into trouble, but he does cry and howl when he is alone.
If you can commit to fostering Ziggy (and don’t have any upcoming travel plans just incase he is in foster care for a month or 2) please text or call Hope at 303-656-5781 or email us at [email protected]
