Romeoville Rescue Dog Competes in America's Favorite Pet Contest

It's a long way from the hard scrabble back roads of Tunica, Mississippi to a soft blanket on a couch in Romeoville, Illinois, and my 1.5 year-old Terrier mix, Domino, has traveled every harrowing mile. But he isn’t stopping there because Domino was just voted into the Quarter-Finals of the 2022 America's Favorite Pet Contest.

Domino’s journey might not seem extraordinary, especially since there are thousands of stray animals roaming the streets and flooding into rescues across the U.S. every day. But Domino is a special needs dog, whose traumatic experiences early in life have left him with severe symptoms of global fear, including a paralyzing fear of my husband which has made daily life in our home challenging.

Domino made his way to us via Fetching Tails Foundation in Itasca in 2020. When he first arrived at the home of his foster mom, Jennifer Wills, he was too terrified to leave his crate, go outside or eat. It took weeks and the gentle, reassuring presence of Jen’s dog, Bogey, before Domino felt safe enough to venture beyond his crate or the cubby under the stairs. Fast forward four months and Domino was living in our home, hiding behind the couch whenever my husband was around and barely eating. But now, after over a year of patience, effort and the help of a behaviorist vet, a trainer and medication, Domino is coming along. Changes are small and slow to come, but we make sure to celebrate every one of them. Domino is a smart, silly and loving dog who deserves all the help we can give him to live his best life.

Now, Domino and I are on a mission to shine a spotlight on all rescue and special needs dogs. And If Domino wins the America's Favorite Pet Contest on April 7th, 2022, he’ll bring the mission to the pages of Dogster Magazine and will also donate a portion of the cash prize to local rescue groups to help other dogs like himself.

If you would like to join Domino and I on our mission, you can cast your FREE vote every 24 hours and/or use your vote to donate to PAWS rescue. Quarter-Finals will continue until Thursday, March 24th at 6 pm PDT. Semi-finals will follow and finally, the winner will be chosen on Thursday, April 7th at 6 pm PDT.

VOTE DOMINO https://americasfavpet.com/2022/domino-94e9