Tashi was found by two ladies who were walking down a back road in southwestern Virginia in August 1999. No one knows how long she had been there, and if they had not been walking, they never would have seen her. She was tied to a fence with a short leash with no where to move. She had dug a hole and was inside it when the ladies saw some movement by the fence and went to investigate. What they saw shocked them, as this beautiful dal was emaciated and dehydrated, having been out in the hot August sun with no food or water for a long time. She was very hesitant, but they coaxed her to come with them and took her home.

They tried to feed her and gave her shelter, but she was not adjusting, she spent all her time in a corner, was so very timid and submissive. They took her to a vet, who estimated her age to be 1- 1 1/2 years old. The vet felt she had definitely been abused, but had been spayed. So Robbie Lark of Willing Hearts was contacted. She in turn contacted me, and I agreed to go get her.

We were to meet in Vienna VA at the Metro at the Kiss and Ride - not realizing that there were two Kiss and Rides - North and South. We waited on the north side for a while, until finally the cell phone rang. It was the people with Tashi, and they were on the south side. We had to walk through the Metro, which is over a major highway, to find them. Tashi was reluctant to go with us at first, but finally started walking with us - until we got to the Metro - she started shaking all over and actually could not move, so my daughter finally had to pick her up and carry her through the terminal. Once we got her in the Jeep, she settled down some, and even gave a few kisses. Such a sweet, beautiful girl to have already faced so many horrors!!! She rode well in the Jeep, we did not have to crate her at all. Once we got back to Delaware, we took a back road and stopped to let her out to do her business. She would not budge from the Jeep - we were in a wooded area - we knew that she was afraid we were going to dump her - again. So we took her home, and she did not hesitate to get out of the Jeep in our driveway.

We introduced her to my four girls, who all seemed to accept her right away. We took her to the vet here, and she tested negative for heartworms, which was a huge relief, and got all her shots updated. In the weeks that followed, Tashi became a little more outgoing, even playing on occasion. She loved to go upstairs! Being on the bed was her very favorite spot. She started eating well, and had her favorite toys. She would not, however, go out in the rain, and was terrified of the dark. I had to take her outside on a leash at night before we all went to bed. Things were going along very well, until we had a terrible thunderstorm.

One of my girls is very afraid of thunderstorms, but I have never seen any dog as terrified as Tashi! She tried to crawl under the bed, in the bathtub, just kept moving from place to place. Finally she ran downstairs and got under my computer desk. I let her stay there as she seemed to feel the safest there. But after that night, she reverted back to the terrified baby we had first brought home. So the process started all over again. I took her to work with me on several occasions , and she was guarded but friendly with the people she would meet. Most fell in love with her though.

One day a friend of mine called and I told her about Tashi. It was fate as she was looking for a female housedog at the time, so she and her husband came to meet Tashi. They both fell in love with her of course, and knowing the baggage she was carrying, they adopted her. She quickly adapted to her new home, and loves her new mommy so very much. My friend's husband had a heart attack a while back, and she told me that while he is fine now, she does not know what she would have done without Tashi by her side to get her through the days and nights of uncertainty.

This summer was a very bad year for thunderstorms, and horrible for poor Tashi. During each storm she would shake and almost convulse, and starting destroying my friend's house. She dug a hole in their carpet, in the bedroom wall, etc., trying to dig the hole to crawl into. But - with help and suggestions from all the dal lovers everywhere, she is doing much better. She is now on KavaKava complex, which helps her to relax and enjoy herself. My friend says that the change in her is so great, she is playing and acting like a puppy. It seems that she was carrying the terror of her abandonment with her all the time, it was just intensified during the storms. She has also started to do much better during a storm, and her mom is so pleased with the change in her. From such a terrifying experience to a happy healthy home -

Tashi has made the transition and has a happy ending and beginning.