Sightings of this Chow-Chow had been circulating in the neighborhood near the Barber home and reported on the NextDoor app for a few weeks. She was seen wandering, clearly overheated and scared, and would not let anyone approach her. Then, late one night, Kris got a call from another rescuer that a close neighbor a few streets away had managed to lure the dog into their gated yard and close her in. That was the easy part! Now she had approximately 6 acres to roam and avoid capture, and she wasn’t about to give up.

The neighbor was happy to help but also had dogs of their own and couldn’t keep this wayward dog in the yard for long. Kris and Hailey went to assess the situation and quickly realized this would be a tricky rescue requiring patience above all. The dog didn’t trust anyone and had found a cool hiding spot in the shaded bushes against the house. As anyone approached her, she would take off running and disappear in the darkness, but still within the confines of the large yard. However, she did like the treats being tossed toward her so those were used to gain some trust.

The homeowner kindly said she could stay for the night, once his dogs had gotten a chance to go out to potty and were settled for the evening. So, the task of getting her out of the yard and back in, was on! With patience, treats, and teamwork, Kris, Hailey and a few volunteers managed to coax this dog out of the yard but still nearby while the homeowner’s dogs went potty. Fortunately, she liked her new safe spot and seemed to want to go back in rather than try to run, thankfully. It was much easier to lure her back into the yard for the night with a few strategically placed treats leading back into the driveway so the gate could close behind her. She was safe for the night.

Early the next morning, Kris returned. The dog approached the fence and was definitely hungry. She allowed Kris to feed her from a spoon through the rungs in the fence, building trust with this scared dog. Hours passed as Kris tried repeatedly to get close enough to get the red slip lead over her head. Failure after failure and then finally, she stuck her head through the loop a little further than she had been, and she was caught! She resisted briefly, then surrendered, walking calmly to Kris’s truck. She was pretty tired and seemed to really appreciate the cool air in the cab of the truck. She fell fast asleep.

A scan revealed she wasn’t microchipped also likely not spayed. With no immediate place for her at the Barber home, arrangements were made for vet care and temporary boarding near Kris’s house. Hailey named her Fancy and the name stuck. She is a beautiful dog that literally prances as she walks, with her long tail feathers floating as she strolls – the name was fitting!

While Fancy was in boarding, Chuck and Hailey got to work building out a second room in the garage. Keep in mind, it was still during the August heatwave and in a sweltering garage! They were dedicated to getting the insulated room built and giving Fancy a cool, quiet place to decompress from her ordeal on the street. The A/C was installed and kept at arctic temperatures, which Fancy appreciated! She made use of the concrete floor and would occasionally lay on her soft bed. Fancy settled in quickly and really enjoyed her new routine and quiet room.

After months of working with Fancy, once she was out of boarding and living in her new room in the garage, she finally rolled over and allowed Kris to rub her belly; that was huge for Fancy! She was very slow to completely trust anyone, but once she decided Kris was trustworthy, she would sit directly on one of her feet, always with her back toward Kris, like she was guarding her! She decides if she wants to be petted – on her terms. She doesn’t like her feet to get wet and will defiantly stop if the grass is too wet. She will go no further! Fancy had some cute tricks that she would do, like sitting up and begging, but she also looked as if she thought she was going to get hit in the face if there was a hand near her head, even if it was an attempt to pet her. She would cower and squint her eyes like she just expected a slap. Kris had seen this with other rescues, but Fancy seemed to want to please her humans once she trusted them, so it was hard to watch her go from happy dog to seemingly anticipating being hit if anyone made a motion that triggered her, inadvertently. Of course no one will ever know her history, but there are traits that suggest those behaviors come from prior abuse or maybe just slaps in the face as a misguided attempt at a correction. The Barbers try not to focus on what might have been in their past and focus on building confidence and happiness in the present.

Fast forward to July of 2024 and hurricane Beryl hit the Barber’s town and surrounding areas of Houston. They lost approximately 30 trees on their property, making the big dog run off limits from tree debris and standing water with a mosquito infestation! That was tough for Fancy because she is very routine oriented and would only go potty at the very far back corner of the dog run. She was depressed and refused to play in the smaller back yard dog area behind the house.

As the Barbers were navigating 16 dogs, without the use of the dog run, Kris got a call from one of the RTTRS board members about an injured dog she had picked up. She didn’t have a place for the dog and brought him to Kris. This new dog, whom the Barbers named Jake, was displaced during the storms and became Fancy’s roommate for six weeks. They tolerated each other but were definitely not the best of friends. Just when Jake was starting to warm up to his new routine, his family saw a post on PawBoost and called to say he was their dog! His name was Mac, and he was headed home; Fancy was getting her room back!

Once Mac headed back home, the big dog run was cleared of the trees, and Fancy’s routine was back on track…until Odin arrived in early November of 2024! Kris got a call about a dog that was dumped in a neighborhood next to a busy road. Some of the neighbors were keeping him safe, but none were interested in adopting him or fostering him. Kris picked him up and he became Fancy’s new roommate!

Fancy and Odin are quite the odd couple! Fancy is a fluffy, prancing pup that fits her name to a T! Odin on the other hand is a pocket pittie – a short muscular little fellow that is more linebacker than dog! We refer to them as Beauty and the Beast - LOL. Odin has brought Fancy out of her shell and really taught her how to play. They go out to the big dog run every morning and goad each other into their spar sessions. They pull on each other’s cheeks, but if it gets too rough, the other will let go and flip over in a submissive posture, as if to say “sorry!” It’s quite a sight to watch this unlikely couple play together. Fancy is learning to trust other dogs and to get some much-needed playtime while not being fearful of being scolded. Odin, on the other hand, has to dial back his strength in order to play at Fancy’s speed. Odin doesn’t realize how strong he is, but he definitely tries to be gentle! They are fun to watch and see each of them grow in their confidence.

They are both available for adoption or fostering. The preference is for Fancy to have another dog, with a submissive personality, as a playmate. Odin gets along with other dogs that don’t mind being run into and rough housing! (Read more about Odin on his dog page)