Niya had experienced life as no dog should have. Battered and scarred, she had been abandoned by her former owner, left alone to fend for herself.
She lived in a kennel at the Gibson County Animal Shelter in Trenton, Tennessee, and it was clear that she had given up hope.
She lay in her kennel all through the day and night, no longer paying attention to what happened around her.
It was easy to tell that she had been abused. The signs were there. She had a nasty gash above her eye, having been hit with some sort of blunt object. There was a nasty scar around her nose as well, a telltale sign that somebody had tried to muzzle her with a can.
Luckily, she was found by Kimberley Sloan.
Sloan saw Niya and knew she couldn’t leave her. She also just happened to be the owner of Arrow Dog Rescue, an organization that has rescued hundreds of dogs and found them homes.
But upon trying to bring Niya back to her house, Sloan ran into some trouble. Niya was deathly afraid of her. She refused to move. Sloan had to pick Niya up and carry her to her car. Her tail was tucked between her legs the whole time.
As soon as she entered the house, Niya lay down in a corner and began to sleep. She lay like that all night, through the next day, and again most of the next night.
But that next night was different. Sloan woke up to something warm being pressed into her outstretched hand while she slept.
It was Niya’s nose.
Niya sat there, breathing into Sloans hand while she used her other to pet Niya. She began speaking softly to her and talking to her. Eventually, however, Niya returned to bed.
But not for long.
“A couple of hours later, the same thing,” said Sloan. “It was overwhelming. I was crying.”
Niya had again approached Sloan outstretched arm, breathing on her, licking her, thanking her.
She is now back on the long road to recovery. She is fighting hookworms and whipworms, but under the care of Sloan and her wife, Terri, Niya is going to be more than fine.
She has given Sloan and Terri many gratifying moments. Moments that are a reminder to Sloan as to why she does what she does.
It will still be a few more months before she is ready for adoption, however. But that’s ok. Sloan isn’t trying to get rid of her anytime soon.
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