The resilience of animals is at times beyond comprehension.
Meet Dorothy, an amazing little dog that takes resilience to a brand new level. The J.J. Woffin’ Paws Rescue Agency was called about a dog found wandering down a rural dirt road in a Palmdale desert. They believed the dog had been dropped off on the deserted road by a backyard breeder that no longer wanted to take care of her. When they arrived, they couldn’t believe their eyes as the cocker spaniel was so matted they couldn’t even tell if it was a boy or a girl
The statistics are alarming.
The statistics for homeless animals are eye-opening. It is believed that only one out of every ten dogs will find a permanent home. Whether people just cannot or will not take care of a pet is the main reason animals are in shelters, along with animal control just finding them on the streets. Sadly each year roughly 2.7 million dogs and cats are put down because the shelters are just too full. Surprisingly, of this number, approximately 25 percent of them are purebred. Though according to the Human Society there are about 3500 animal shelters across the United States and 10,000 rescue groups, there’s no way to keep up with the 7.6 million animals that enter the shelters yearly.
The reasons are many.
There are so many reasons pets are abandoned. It could be an owner passed away, the pet became too large and unruly, or not enough thought was put into it before acquiring the pet. Shelter workers say these are the common reasons they hear:
Moving out of state and cannot take the cat.
New landlord does not allow dogs.
Found cat in the apartment next door after neighbor moved out.
No space in new home for the dog.
Behavioral problem and can’t housebreak.
Dorothy showed her strong and sweet spirit.
As for this sweet cocker spaniel, no one will ever know the reason for sure she was found abandoned in a desert. The rescuers had a hunch that she was a girl and named her Dorothy. They brought her home and much to their surprise, though clearly left on her own for so long, she had not lost her spirit. Walking around their home, she still was wagging her tail despite the condition she was in.
A crate was available to her and she went right in looking for comfort and also showing at one time she was someone’s pet which made the situation all the more heart-tugging.
Things were worse than they realized.
When it came time to get Dorothy cleaned up, the rescuers realized her mats were so bad that her legs were bound together. Sticks, bugs, and even telephone wires were found intertwined in her fur making her cry out when they tried to touch her.
Because of the many wounds on her body and a growth on her eye they knew she had to be cared for at the vet’s office where they could shave her to rid her of the tangled mats. Because of her condition, they sedated her and bathed her down which took several hours. The amount of hair was so incredible that the veterinarian removed a total of one pound of fur from her!
Time for her new life to begin.
As Dorothy recovered, she began to trust again and seemed relieved to be clean. She was unrecognizable and completely adorable. Though life handed a rough season, she came through with shining colors and a spirit that never gave up.
A YouTube commenter summed up everyone’s feelings exactly saying:
She is the sweetest! Thank you so much for your love and compassion for animals in need. You are their angels!
We couldn’t agree more and the best news is sweet Dorothy found her forever home with a family that loves her dearly.
Watch below for her story and full transformation below.
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