Breakthrough for Rescue Dog Terrified of Being Touched: ‘No One Wanted Her’

The emotional moment a shy and scared rescue dog finally let her new owner touch her was captured on camera.

Marcy Merritt, a first-year dental student and long-time dog rescuer in Memphis, Tennessee, took to TikTok to share footage of the moment her newly adopted 6-month old Chihuahua, Lucia, finally let her touch a single patch of her fur.

Merritt was sitting alongside Lucia on the couch when the breakthrough occurred. It came six days after Lucia first arrived home. Though her rescue dog’s response suggests progress has been made, she told Newsweek there’s still a long way to go.

The sad reality is that Merritt might be one of the first people Lucia has ever let touch her. “I was told that she used to run the streets and then ended up at the shelter,” Merritt said. “She has likely never been socialized with humans. She’s never been on leash. She’s never been held. Everything is a new and scary experience for her.”

Some dogs struggle to adjust to the intensity of the shelter environment. A 2006 study published in the journal Physiology and Behavior found that dogs living in shelters during a three-day period after arrival had three times the level of the stress hormone cortisol in their system than normal household dogs.

But while her experience in the shelter might have had a negative impact, Lucia had a guardian angel in the form of Merritt, who was quick to come to her rescue.

“I like to foster tough cases and occasionally adopt hospice cases,” she said. “I’ve worked with bite cases, medical, hospice and behavior dogs. It is a small endeavor in the great wide world of dog rescue, but it means a lot to a handful of dogs per year.”

While Lucia undoubtedly needed someone like Merritt to come into her life, it appears the feeling was very much mutual for her new pawrent.

“Our little hospice case Chihuahua Ruebin passed away before Christmas and left a little hole in our hearts,” Merritt said. “I had had my eye on Lucia’s profile for a while before I decided to make the jump. She was at Memphis’ high kill shelter, then in an amazing rescue called Real Good Dog Rescue.”

Merritt said Lucia had struggled to get adopted because “no one wanted her or qualified for her special fear needs.” As someone who has cared for her fair share of dogs with complex needs, Merritt was able to see past Lucia’s problems.

Though they had that initial breakthrough, she admits that caring for Lucia comes with its own unique set of challenges, not least when it comes to her “mood swings.”

“She acts like she wants to play or get petted, but when you actually move she gets so nervous and shaky that you feel bad,” Merritt said. “She is also not food motivated, so breaking through to her is even trickier. We also are unable to get her outside in the yard to use the bathroom, so we have potty pads everywhere.”

That simple breakthrough of touching her fur did not come easy either. “It was a lot of patience and slow movements, but unfortunately it wasn’t some amazing moment because the action of the touch still really scares her,” she said. “Right now, she is just tolerating me. I wait for the day when she enjoys the interaction.”

She understands from having worked with previous cases that “patience is everything” and that “nothing can be forced.”

“Dogs can be a lot like people. A little patience, respect and a kind approach go a long way,” Merritt said. “If you hold space for them to grow and provide them with the right tools for growth, you’d be surprised with how much their outlook can change.”

Despite the difficulties, Merritt has bright hopes for Lucia’s future. She just needs to take it one day at a time.

“I’d love her to be able to experience the joys of walking at the park and snuggling up for movie night. She has a long road ahead of her, but I know she can do it. I just need to respect her boundaries along the way, and she will in turn grow to trust me.”

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