Last month, our Animal Rescue Team arrived at a property in Ballinger, Texas, to assist the Runnels County Sheriff’s Office with an alleged animal neglect situation.
“A complete sensory overload.” That was what Alex Gamez, our Texas state director who was on scene, said about the overwhelming odor of feces and urine and the cacophony of barking coming from dozens of pups clamoring for attention as he first entered the residential property.
Crouched inside a kitchen cabinet, trembling and lethargic, was a completely hairless dog. It wasn’t immediately clear if she was sick, overwhelmed or afraid, but what was clear was that she needed help.
The dog, nicknamed Dobby, was one of the many animals our team saved that day. In total, we rescued over 70 animals: dogs, chickens, horses, ducks, geese and a cat. Now, they are officially on their way to better lives.
The morning after their rescue, Dobby and the others woke up to breakfast in a safe, clean place, which was something some of them had probably never experienced before. Dobby was already in much better spirits, greeting our responders with tail wags and kisses. Her missing hair and irritated skin, which was surely itchy and painful, were caused by mange—and she wasn’t alone. Many of the other animals suffered from the same ailment.
One thing our Animal Rescue Team does on deployments is document the conditions in which they find animals. These images get sent back to our office team for sorting. So, while Dobby was getting a chance to show her personality to our rescuers on the ground, one of our senior graphic designers, Haily, who already has one dog at home (named Ozwald), was sorting through the incoming images from the case.
“I often joked that at some point while working here, I would likely fall in love with a pup and want to rescue one,” she told me. “I didn't realize it would actually happen.”
And yet, when she saw a picture of Dobby, all hairless and with big floppy ears, it was love at first sight.
Haily knew firsthand the kind of care and attention mange required; she had spent nine months treating Ozwald for the same condition when he was a puppy. When Haily realized it would only take a two-hour drive to meet Dobby, she figured she could go and, at the very least, make Dobby’s acquaintance in person.
Haily House
When Haily arrived at the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, one of the organizations that helped us with the rescue, she was excited and a little nervous. She realized this one little meeting could change both of their lives.
When Dobby curled up in Haily’s arms, it just clicked. Haily immediately knew Dobby was meant to be a part of her family. It was clear that Dobby felt the same. She slept the whole way home, nuzzled into her blanket.
Haily House
Haily wanted to give Dobby the fresh start she deserved. So, Dobby was renamed Misty. No longer lethargic and trembling, the fear she must have been suffering had finally left her, and she was finally able to be herself; she spent her first night leaping around and playing with toys, a joyful display of sweeping tail wags and full body wiggles.
Misty now has a new friend, Ozwald, who is slowly becoming more curious about the new family member. He doesn’t fully understand puppy behavior yet, or who this new little animal is, but during bedtime, they’re content to cuddle up near each other.
Today, Misty’s health has significantly improved. Her weight is improving steadily, and she’s finally eating like a normal puppy. Now that she’s filling out, she looks like an entirely different dog compared to those first rescue pictures that pulled on Haily’s heartstrings.
Haily House
Misty and all the animals our team rescued that day still need to recover physically and mentally from everything they suffered, but the resilience of animals is so inspiring. It warms my heart to see how much her life has changed over the last few weeks. And it seems that she, Ozwald and Haily have a bright future together.
Kitty Block is president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. Follow Kitty Block.
