The news stories 📰 📺 have died down, but many of the canine victims of recent Sussex County dumping/hoarding case continue to struggle as a result of their past neglect… We welcomed Champ into our rescue today, one of the last dogs to be trapped. Our friends at Happy Tails Inn Pet Resort got him off to a great start learning to play with toys and beginning to trust people; they even sent him to us with his favorite pink squeaky toy and special “good dog” bowl he likes to eat out of. But he has a long way to go and has no clue how to be a normal pet. Like most hoarding cases, the older dogs from the home were more social, while the younger dogs born after the hoarder was already overwhelmed by 40+ dogs were barely touched or socialized so are the most scared. You can see in Champ’s eyes that he’s curious and wants to trust, and once you are holding and petting him he is starting to lean in and enjoy it. But he still startles easily, has never been on a leash, and doesn’t know to come and ask for attention. He loves other dogs and definitely needs a friendlier pack surrounding him to continue to gain confidence. And LOTS of squeaky toys. He’s about 2-3 years old, 12lbs, and probably some kind of chihuahua/min pin/Jack Russell type mixture. Medically he’s good to go and has been neutered and updated on shots. Mentally, he’s not there just yet and will need a special patient calm adult home to continue to help him learn to bond and trust people. He is a MAJOR flight risk if he ever gets loose because of his fear so extra caution will always need to be taken to keep him safe, and he definitely needs a home with at least one other dog (the more the merrier… well, not the out of control 50+ in his previous home, but a little pack would be nice for him). Stay tuned as we get to know him better and watch him learn to enjoy life and get to know him as an individual. And email njwoof@cs.com if you think you have the right home for this shy but sweet little survivor 💜 Since COVID-19, we are no longer holding our Sunday adoption events until further notice, but we are scheduling meet and greet appointments with a specific dog or dogs at our meeting spots in Northern NJ. To streamline adoptions, all communication before, during, and after the adoption process is done through email only: we have limited volunteers able to return phone calls. Submit an application from our website www.secondchance.petfinder.com to speed up the adoption process and email any questions to us at njwoof@cs.com. Please check your email regularly for next steps. All our dogs reside in foster care in Northern NJ until adoption and we do not have a central shelter location. We are a small all-volunteer organization focused on rescuing local dogs from area shelters, as well as accepting some surrenders and puppy mill rescues.