 Mika (center) and two other dogs were dumped in a drop box at a New Mexico animal shelter. A long distance trucker brought them to Tennessee. They were temporarily kept by a New Rattitude volunteer until they could be transported to three different foster homes in Michigan (Mika), Illinois, and Georgia.
|  From left to right: Zuni (Georgia), Nova (Illinois), and Mika (Michigan).
|  From the beginning, Mika enjoyed playing with other dogs, toys, and showed signs of wanting to interact with humans.
|  When Mika arrived in her Michigan foster home on 3/28/26, she was too frightened to come out of her carrier. The next day we took the top off her carrier; she still didn't want to exit the safety of the crate.
|
 Mika traded the safety of a crate for the safety of plush donut dog bed. She wouldn't get out of the bed either and didn't go potty for at least 24 hours.
|  Mika loves her food and didn't skip a meal, but those back feet had to stay in the safety of the bed at first.
|  Soon she summoned the courage to leave the bed and now is all over the kitchen, exploring every corner and playing with all the toys.
|  Mika loves to play with other dogs, including her foster sister, another Rat Terrier of similar size.
|
 4/3/26: In this video, Mika was in her xpen. I sat in it with her with no opportunity for her to escape. She's clearly uncomfortable with me being in such close proximity when she can't run from me.
|  4/5/26: In this video, I am trying to coax her from the kitchen into the sun room. Paris and I are on the couch. She wants to come in, but is intimidated by the threshold and/or the new space.
|  4/5/26: Evening play. She'll take toys from me and will come up to me to sniff my hands, but backs away if I reach for her. When Paris comes in the room, she gets a little braver.
|  4/18/26: Mika sleeps in the kitchen and this is the delight she shows in the morning when the rest of the family gets up (including her canine foster sister who she loves).
|
 4/18/26: Mika got brave enough to come into the sun room this week. Now she goes in and out all the time - it's no longer scary!
|  Now she can look out the window and watch the birds and other wildlife.
| |
