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Picking Up Ellie from Rescue Transport

I picked up Ellie in Eastern Washington – it took many wonderful volunteers to move her from AZ to WA.

I introduced Ellie, my son’s rescue dog last week. She’s a Brittany and Heeler mix who had been abused for years in Arizona. She was brought to Washington State through the kindness of a Brittany rescue group. I was the one who met the last volunteer to bring Ellie on the final 100-mile leg of her journey, so I guess that’s why I’ve always had a particular fondness for her. Well, that and she looks a lot like the Brittany we lost to cancer two years ago.

Picking Up Ellie

Ellie was considered so high energy by the rescue that she arrived with two harnesses on and a collar. I knew instantly she didn’t need all of that, so I removed them. She pulled on the leash, but she let me know that she was a gentle girl with a stubborn streak.

Ellie was abused for years, but she’s slowly overcoming some of her issues and she adores my son and daughter-in-law. She’s lucky to have found a forever home with dedicated pet parents who are willing to work with her knowing that her behavioral issues are a result of her abuse, so they use a lot of patience and understanding when dealing with her.

Purina Pro - Alex Ellie

They make sure she gets plenty of mental stimulation, physical interaction, and lots of love. They encourage her to play and take her to the dog park, but she has no interest in interacting with other “strange” dogs. She does play with her “brother,” but she’d rather hang out with the humans.

Purina Pro - Lapdog

Ironically, Ellie wants to be accepted by my dogs, and her dream is to be one of the girls. She’s always squeezing herself between my two tiny dogs who have no interest whatsoever in having anything to do with the big dog who’s all legs and clumsy. When Ellie comes to visit, she spends most of her time with me and the girls on the couch while I work. She rolls over asking for a belly scratch now and then and then lets out a sigh and repositions herself for another nap. I’d say this is one of her favorite places.

Ellie wants to be one of the girls

But even with all of us working to help Ellie fit in, she still has a lot of issues as a result of the lack of care her previous owners provided. She didn’t like grass and had to be convinced not to do her business on the pavement. Plus she had a food aggression that my son and daughter-in-law have done an excellent job of helping her through. But she is stubborn, or at least that’s what we assume, because when she decides not to follow a command, she stands her ground and will not be moved – physically or mentally.

Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND – An Update on Ellie

We want to give Ellie the best life possible and of course, we’d love her to behave which would make our life easier too. We changed her food to Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND. It’s the only dog food that’s made to increase the cognitive awareness of adult dogs over the age of seven.  This new food gives her a chance to retain the training she does have with the hopes that she’d become less of a loner and interact more. Our mission is to get Ellie out of the habit of looking for out-of-the-way places to hide. That’s how she handles life – by hiding under things or by backing into a corner. We want her to feel secure and happy with us.

Purina ProPlan BrightMind Dog Food Trial  – Ellie’s Update

The switch to Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND was simple because she loves the food. While she loves the taste, we love that she’s getting a food created with botanical oils that are said to promote mental sharpness and alertness in senior dogs like our girl. In fact, owners who switch their pup to Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND may see a change in their ability to cope with and adapt to change and even show an interest in interacting and playing with their owner.

Have we seen any changes since switching Ellie to the new food? Not yet, but remember, she came to us after years of poor nutrition, so I didn’t expect a huge change in just ten days. But for her, it’s about helping her retain what she has while building up her nutritional levels so that hopefully someday soon she will shine!

For now, we'll continue feeding Ellie Purina Pro Plan and working with her.

For now, we’ll continue feeding Ellie Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND and working to undo what the horrible humans that owned her during her first 5-7 years did through their abuse.

If you’re one of the millions of pet owners with a dog over the age of 7, help your pup retain her cognitive awareness by providing her with Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND. It’s available at PetSmart and other retailers nationwide.

Find out more about Purina® Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND at PetSmart or at the BRIGHT MIND website.