This poor guy had a really, really rough life before he came to us, and we’re so glad we are able to give him a second chance. We first saw him show up on the euthanasia list at MCACC and planned to evaluate him for intake. That same day we received an anonymous message pleading with us to take him and giving details on how he lived before he came to the shelter. 

Orion had been neglected and severely beaten many times growing up. His original owners had him since he was a puppy, and once he became a normal husky – big, adventurous, high-energy – they mostly kept him outside, though he did still have some indoor access at the time. The owners decided it would be a good idea to get chickens, doing no research on a husky’s prey drive. Well, Ori couldn’t help himself and he killed a chicken. He was beaten so severely for it that he was too scared to let anyone approach him or to come into the house for a full 7 months after that. 

Eventually, the oldest child in the home was able to get Ori to come back in before the family was leaving for a vacation. Unfortunately, after having not been in the home for so long, Ori was then left with other pets, including multiple cats, with no human contact for 3+ days. They ran out of food quickly and who knows if they had enough water as no one checked on them. Close to the end of the trip, Orion unfortunately killed one of their cats. 

Huskies do have prey drives. We are sorry for the loss of the cat, but this was so, so, so avoidable, and the abuse Orion endured has contributed to the dog he is today. He is definitely more skittish, and this is why he was so quickly e-listed at county. 

It took him some time in his foster home, but once Ori feels comfortable he becomes the sweetest boy. He is a big couch potato and loves hanging out with his humans. Once he starts to trust, he will give you subtle cues with a poke of his nose which gradually turns into a poke with the paw and eventually turns into him crawling on your lap. He gives the most gentle kisses and will be your best friend in time. He still does react skittishly to quick movements and loud noises, but having a safe space like a kennel helps him a lot. 

He is great with other dogs and has a very distinct “on / off” switch when it comes to playtime. Inside means sleeping on the couch, but once he’s outside he loves to run and play with other medium to large dogs. He has shown no aggression or guarding towards humans. He walks ok on a leash if you don’t pull or tug (this causes him to shut down), but gentle encouragement seems to do the trick.

Ori needs a home with no cats and no young children. We aren’t sure about small dogs as he hasn’t met any, but we do think older kids would be just fine for him! He will have an adjustment period before you see his true potential, but once you do we promise it will be worth it!