LEADVILLE, Colo. — After hiding in the woods at a Lake County campsite for at least two months, a German Shepherd mix is now safe and up for adoption.
Two Socks, named by the campground hosts, was at the campsite when it opened for the season on May 20. Campers were feeding her, then eventually asked the Leadville-Lake County Animal Shelter for help.
"She could get maybe within 30 feet of people, but anything closer, if you stood up or moved, she would get startled and spooked and run away," said Caitlin Kuczko, the shelter manager.
Kuczko worked with Summit Lost Pet Rescue to feed Two Socks on a consistent schedule twice a day. They started by feeding her outside a trap, then slowly brought her food closer and closer to the trap, until one day she walked in.
"We knew once we got her trapped that she would need a few days to decompress, potentially even longer, having one been in the woods for so long," Kuczko said. "We didn't know where she was sleeping."
Kuczko said Two Socks is about a year and a half old. She was healthy and already spayed when she got to the shelter on July 25, but she had a lot to get used to in her new environment.
"The staff implemented what we call drive-by treats. So they would walk by, toss her a treat and keep going," Kuczko said. "Soon she began approaching the kennel, so we were able to have more one-on-one interactions with her. And then after a few days, I was actually able to scan her for a microchip."
Shelter staff said Two Socks warmed up to other dogs after a few days, and now she's regularly playing with them. But staff still have her on a behavior support plan as they continue to acclimate her.
The shelter is accepting applications to adopt Two Socks now, but said they're taking their time, waiting for the right family.
"We're doing it day by day and based on the applicant," Kuczko said. "We definitely want to make sure that we're preparing her future adopter, as she is going to be a flight risk. She'll probably need a tracking device, just so that if she were to get loose or slip out, she's not going to be a free child of the woods again."