Sherry's Time with Annya

Sherry's Time with Annya Annya was with us only 4 months... This is her story. I knew her history, where she came from and how she got here to this point but it still didn't prepare me for how she looked. Her lower jaw jutted out, her face so misshape Ned. She wouldn't make eye contact, she smelled of fear. So sad, so sad. I had picked her up with another pu-ppy mill foster and was on the way to do a home visit the next day. So off to the motel we went. Once we were settled in for the night I examined my first puppymill baby. Her fur was soft as silk. I stroked her fur while reading her file. It was the shock of my life! There was Sweet Annya's picture when she came out of that hell hole, so horrible, so horrible. Tears fell, poor baby, poor sweet baby Annya. I looked at her, she had come such a long way but still had miles to go. She was so timid until we got home. When she saw the other 5 shih Tzu in the yard up came the tail, wag, wag and she smiled. Of cause, Annya was afraid of hands. When it was time to come inside she couldn't climb the steps so I reached down for her and she ran. "hands, hands-hurt, hurt" was on her face. So I learned to wiggle my fingers at her as my hands ever so slowly reached around her to pick her up. There were 2 steps back for every step forward. One time when she was outside there was no way she would let the "hands" touch her. An hour passed, another half hour went by, finally I put a bowl of food on the patio and sat on the steps. Ever so slowly she inched forward to eat. I never made a move just crying and cooing "poor baby, poor baby". For example, time passed, finally she realized "hands" won't hurt, but must always wiggle first to be safe.
At first she wouldn't let me pick her up to join the others and me on the couch. She wanted to but oh "hands,hands-hurt,hurt". For example, then one night when the "girls" and I were watching tv I felt a paw pawing at my leg. It was Annya, she wanted up. She joined us and the others made room for her. A big sigh and she laid down and fell asleep. It would become a nightly ritual.
Annya was afraid of men. This was brought home when my husband tried to pick her up. She bit him hard, even with her broken jaw she drew blood. She was terrified, absolutely hysterical. We knew we had to help her overcome her fear and came upon an idea that Doug would feed her in the morning while I remained out of sight. He would set her bowl down and slowly back away until she would start eating. He would stop and stay put, not moving closer or farther away. Every time he would move not quite so far away. For example , eventually she did let him get within 6 feet of her. We were so proud of her, she was so brave. Of cause, his part is so hard to tell but I must. Sweet Annya had joined the gang on the couch and she was curled up sleeping. I looked down at her and saw she was still-too still! Annya? Annya! No response. I grabbed her and she wasn't breathing. I gave her mouth to nose resuscitation but she kept going. She wouldn't come back, she just kept going. I called the vet but she was already gone. God had called her home. She's now with the One whose hands will never hurt. No more "hands, hands-hurt, hurt". We'd love to hear your story, too.