She was the longest resident at the Boxer Rescue Los Angeles shelter in the USA.
Martha arrived at the rescue centre in 2014. By 2015, over a year later, the staff feared she would never find a family.
A special meeting
That was until the day Erin Chalhub walked through the shelter's doors. She had an appointment to meet a dog, but she just didn't feel a connection. So, she asked to meet another one. The rescuers brought out Martha, a Boxer, explaining that she wasn't affectionate with anyone. They hoped this would convince Erin to adopt the dog she had originally come to see...
But to everyone's surprise, Martha climbed right into Erin's lap. Without a moment's hesitation, Erin adopted Martha and took her home.
An unlikely friendship
In her new home, Martha quickly became sociable with people, but she was aggressive towards all other animals. Erin took her to training classes to help her learn how to manage her reactions around them.
Then, in 2019, Martha was at the park when she stopped in front of a particular tree to watch some squirrels playing. She just started observing them, not chasing them, simply watching. This was a huge breakthrough for her! The clever dog had realised that if she stayed perfectly still, the squirrels wouldn't run away.
The squirrels started to come down to see her, and even gave her paws a little kiss! Martha remains completely still every time. For the past five years, Martha and her owner have visited the 'squirrel tree' every Saturday and Sunday. Interestingly, Martha only cares about the squirrels in that specific tree; she has no interest in the ones in her own garden, for example.
The good news is that thanks to the squirrels, Martha has made another friend! In 2020, a German Shepherd named Cali started watching Martha interact with the squirrels and began to copy her. Now, Cali and Martha play together off the lead, something that would have seemed impossible before. What a wonderful story!
