Habersham Co. Animal Care and Control (HCACC) Staff give ‘Mutley’ a reason to Smile

Habersham County Animal Care and Control staff and volunteers gave shelter dog “Mutley” a reason to smile after a year at the shelter.  Mutley has an intake date of March 11, 2022. He was abandoned on Dicks Hill Parkway by his previous owner who lived in Baldwin. Concerned citizens reported him to Animal Control – after seeing him looking confused and lost on the side of the road by the elementary school. Mutley was severely underweight and appeared to have an embedded chain wrapped around his neck. He was showing aggression to anyone attempting to catch him. ACO Roper was successful in utilizing a live trap to capture him.  His previous owners were found charged and convicted of animal abandonment. During the wait until the case was heard before a judge, Mutley was held as “evidence”. Over time, he slowly started to trust the staff and after over two months in Isolation, Mutley was able to work with volunteers- and everyone fell in love.  On Saturday, March 11, 2023, Mutley, woke up to day 365 of being at the shelter.  Mutley celebrated in a “formal fashion” with staff and volunteers and enjoyed some dog-friendly cake along with taking some glamor shots.  “He has come so far because we never gave up on him,” says volunteer Brittany Brown. “There is someone out there for him – we just have to find them. We can’t give up on him now.”  Habersham County Animal Care and Control Director Madi Nix says finding a place for Mutley has been a challenge.  “Mutley has been a difficult placement due to his being animal selective and defensive around strangers, but the bond he has established with us just goes to show that he is more than capable of love,” Nix says. “He obviously came from a situation where he wasn’t socialized, was kept chained, and never handled. That’s a recipe for disaster in animals’ wellbeing. We believe in responsible rehoming and ensuring that animals leaving our care are not set up to fail – we are dedicated to finding Mutley the right home, not just a right-now home.”  Nix says Mutley is on a waiting list to attend the Dog Playing for Life Canine Center in Florida. The Canine Center, Florida (CCF) is DPFL’s first advanced training and behavior facility for unowned dogs that are suffering behaviorally. They review the dogs’ histories and then professionally assess each individual dog to determine the best course of action for a positive outcome, whenever possible.  To learn more about HCACC, visit https://www.habershamga.com/animal-control.cfm.  To learn more about Dogs Playing for Life Canine Center visit https://dogsplayingforlife.com/canine-center-florida/.