The Internet Came Together To Save This Dog On Death Row

    "Saving Fantasia" sounds like a Disney movie in the making.

    Brad Esposito
    by Brad Esposito

    BuzzFeed News Reporter, Australia

    Fantasia the dog was inside the Rebury Farm Animal Shelter in western Sydney and due to be put down when a photoseries was uploaded to Facebook that changed the path of her life.

    Facebook: jolyonsphotography

    In a photo shared on a local photographer's Facebook, Fantasia (left) was shown playing with another dog, Frankie, through a fence at the kennel. The photo also included information on Fantasia's situation and stated how important it was that she be adopted as soon as possible.

    Fantasia was rejected from several prospective adopters once Frankie (pictured right) was adopted, as she developed reactive behaviour to other dogs because of the stress of the pound environment.

    Shannon Maguire saw the photo of Fantasia and immediately started campaigning to have her saved.

    Facebook: 1698531683711734

    "I run a separate Facebook page," Shannon told BuzzFeed News, "and it has over 1800 followers. I'm using it to help dogs that go missing, and through it was able to get a lot of attention for Fantasia."

    Shannon said that it was only a few hours before Fantasia was set to be killed that a relative stranger, Michael Marsellos, responded to her campaign and offered his house as temporary accommodation for Fantasia.

    Facebook: 1698531683711734

    The Renbury Pound appreciated the efforts made to get Fantasia adopted, and pushed the date Fantasia was to be killed back two days.

    “If Michael hadn’t come along to offer the possibility of foster care, she wouldn’t be with us," she said.

    A Facebook page was set up, with a video and various updates showing how the campaign was going.

    Shannon said it was ​thanks to​ her friend, Jo, whose Facebook page ​is dedicated to taking photos of rescue dogs to increase the chance they get adopted, that Fantasia was able to be saved. "Jo dedicated one day a week to take photos of rescue dogs and she takes photos of the dogs there to get them a much better chance of being adopted," she said.

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    Facebook: video.php

    Shannon said it was ​thanks to​ her friend, Jo, whose Facebook page ​is dedicated to taking photos of rescue dogs to increase the chance they get adopted, that Fantasia was able to be saved.

    "Jo dedicated one day a week to take photos of rescue dogs and she takes photos of the dogs there to get them a much better chance of being adopted," she said.

    A community then rallied around Fantasia, getting her malnourished body assessed by a vet, and seeking out professional dog training to help with her anxiety around other dogs.

    Facebook: Saving

    "She’s receiving training from a qualified trainer (Jess Sandsprom of Maera Dog Training) and the trainer has been teaching volunteer walkers in how to do the training program," said Shannon.

    “She uses positive training to reduce anxiety because rescue dogs have so much anxiety from the pound environment and their upbringing.”

    A GoFundMe has been set up, raising funds to go towards Fantasia's traning, equipment needs, vet fees, and toys to play with while she's in the kennel.

    gofundme.com

    Renbury Pound keep dogs very short-term, says Shannon, although it's not because of their own laws.

    Facebook: 1698531683711734

    "State legislation is that a dog that is surrendered is given seven days and after that it can be killed.”

    “If a dog is found missing they have 14 days, it gives an owner 14 days to try and find their dog.”

    Shannon wants Fantasia's story to inspire people to ask their councils to make more no-kill facilities.

    "The workers in Renbury are beautiful, but it’s the councils that choose and define what they want impounding facilities to do. We want to make this public to encourage more councils to make no-kill facilities. Fantasia is a random dog in some ways because of the photos, but there’s hundreds and thousands of dogs dying every day.”

    Fantasia is still undergoing training, but Shannon says she could be ready for adoption to the right hime.

    Jo Lyons

    "If we had a home without any other animals, that'd be perfect." She’s not good around cats or small dogs just yet."

    "Continued training might mean she can get adopted into a home with another dog."