It Begins With Rescue - The Journey of Silvertoes

Silvertoes (aka Carson) is a Chihuahua that had lived 9 years in a cage in a puppy mill. He missed out on sunshine, warm laps and the feeling of grass between his toes, until he was rescued by Small Breed Rescue of East Tennessee (SBRET). He was one of the most shut down dogs that SBRET had ever taken in. He could not make eye contact and his skin would literally crawl when someone would reach out to touch him.

In my foster home he was a challenge to say the least because he was so scared of humans and our hands. For the first several weeks I had to hand feed him to help him learn that good things came from hands. His bed was put in the middle of my living room to help him learn not to be afraid of the sights and sounds of a home. He had to learn that life with people was going to be ok.

Almost a year after being rescued I took Carson to one of many adoption events. He had been to adoption events but never showed well because of his fear of strangers. But this adoption event was different when Carolyn, a past adopter, stopped by. She had been following the months of progress that was posted on his webpage. She felt I had him to a point that she thought she would be able to take over and would love to have him join her four Chihuahua family. I had prayed that one day someone would take a chance with him. I knew he was ready and because of the resilience of Carson and the love and patience I had with him, he is doing very well in his new home. We did a good job little man!

Kathy Grunwell
Knoxville, TN