He never gave up.
When Graycie was first rescued from the middle of the street in Georgia, she was terrified. She cowered in her kennel, refusing to eat, and veterinarian Dr. Andy Mathis knew he needed to do something. He didn’t have any conventional ideas, so he went with an unconventional one — he climbed into the kennel with her.
“I just said, ‘I’m gonna sit right here and sort of encourage you to eat with the food here with me sitting right here,’” Mathis said in a Dodo video.
Dr. Mathis sat next to Graycie in her kennel and ate his own food next to her, eating out of the same kind of bowl that Graycie had. He hoped it would help make her feel less alone and maybe start to ease her fears.
“I had to hand-feed her a little bit to get her started,” Mathis said.
After seeing that it was safe, Graycie began eating on her own for the first time, all thanks to Dr. Mathis.
Five days after being rescued, Graycie’s appetite was fantastic. She had no problem eating anymore and had already gained a pound and a half. Her true personality finally began to shine through, and after all that they’d already been through together, Dr. Mathis decided to adopt Graycie into his family.
The scared puppy who had cowered in the corner of her kennel was officially gone. Graycie was bouncy, spunky and full of life. She’s thriving in her new life with Dr. Mathis, and now every year, they commemorate her adoption anniversary by having dinner together in a kennel again.
All Graycie needed was a little patience and love, and that’s exactly what Dr. Mathis gave her.
