You can’t judge a book by its cover. This phrase is embedded in all of us from an early age, yet as people grow up we often ignore this sound teaching. But sometimes we get great reminders about how true it is… Early in April, Eldad from Hope For Paws received a call about a sick homeless dog that was in desperate need of medical attention. Her skin was raw, swollen, covered in scabs and she was missing most of her fur. Eldad asked if Bill Foundation could take this baby in and find her a home and Hope For Paws would pay for her all of her medical care. We needed less than a second to say “Yes” and right away, Eldad and I headed out to find this poor dog. When we arrived, we could see she was in even worse shape than we had imagined. Not only was she covered in severe mange, she was completely dehydrated and having a difficult time standing up because of how infected her body was.
The kind people who had found her and called Eldad said that she had recently been pregnant, but her body had aborted her pups… most likely because she was too sick maintain a pregnancy.
Bethany, as we have named her, cautiously welcomed our arrival and with the help of a few cheeseburgers and some chicken, she allowed us to rescue her.
All the way to the hospital Bethany insisted on being close to us, even though she must have been in excruciating pain. Without Eldad knowing, I was able to capture a very tender moment (seen above) during the car ride between the two of them. I don’t think any words are needed to describe the true beauty of the moment between rescuer and dog that is celebrated in this photo.
Bethany has quite the gentle and trusting spirit and she allowed us to bathe her and scrub off ALL of the infected areas. She didn’t fight us one bit, even through her pain. I truly believe that she knew we were there to help her.
Tests concluded that Bethany did indeed have severe mange and several internal bacteria infections,. Her condition was so bad that she had to remain on IV antibiotics for several weeks, followed by further injections given to her in her foster home for an additional two weeks.
Everyday, Bethany made remarkable progress and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, watching Bethany’s transformation has been an awe inspiring journey.
With the help of her amazing foster family, Bethany is now happy, healthy and awaiting a forever home. [Here’s her adoption listing on Adopt-a-Pet.com.]
Bethany’s rescue was made possible because of the of the incredible partnership between Hope For Paws and Bill Foundation. By combining our efforts, we have been able to provide her with all she needs to prepare for a happily ever after.
Bethany’s story reminds us all that sometimes books are damaged, or ill cared for, or simply show wear from their owner treating them poorly. It does not mean that the pages within are not insightful, poignant and full of magic. And these books, like an innocent life, should never be thrown away because they are not beautiful to the eye.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us celebrate this partnership. With your continued support, we will be able to save many more dogs like Bethany. Please share this video and story far and wide and help us help dogs.
Annie Hart, who authored this piece, is the Executive Director of Bill Foundation. To inquire about adopting Bethany, please visit www.billfoundation.org. To donate to Hope for Paws, which funds rescues like Bethany’s, please visit www.hopeforpaws.org or visit www.giftforcause.com to purchase great gifts with proceeds benefiting their rescue work.
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