Merit was out of options when he was returned to Iredell (North Carolina) County Animal Services last year. The beagle/cocker spaniel dog was adopted in August. By October, he was back at the shelter.
The family said he did not acclimate to the children in the home. Merit’s return to the shelter was bad news for the dog. His behavioral issues made him difficult to adopt.
He was likely to be euthanized. That’s when Highland Canine Training in Union Grove, N.C.
, stepped in and decided Merit deserved a chance, said Magdalena Szymanska, Highland’s director of education. One of Merit’s trainers, Shawn Hite, made the dog a special project. Hite came to Highland in January and began working with Merit.
Merit the dog. Now, the dog with a bleak future has passed his certification as a bed bug detection dog. Merit will be making his home with Hite when he returns to Indiana.
It’s a happy ending, said Tracy Sanchez, volunteer coordinator at Iredell County Animal Services. “We are always so grateful when organizations such as Highland Canine are able help us save lives when we no longer have options,” she said. Shawn Hite watches as his dog, Merit, checks a box for the scent of bed bugs.
Szymanska said Highland has worked with the shelter to train dogs to make them more adoptable. Basic obedience, such as sit, down and stay, is the main focus for Highland. Occasionally trainers run across dogs in need of more training.
That was the case with Merit. “As a result of having .
