FABULOUS FIVE: LONG HAIRED DOG BREEDS THAT WORK!!!
see more: In a moving rescue, a battered Pit Bull, thrown from a moving vehicle, is saved in time, rebuilding trust and restoring hope in a tale of resilience.
Penny the Pit Bull’s rescuers were unaware that they were saving two lives when they rescued her.
Penny was discarded from a moving vehicle and was rescued by the staff at the nearby Berclair Animal Hospital. Penny was undernourished, bruised, and suffering from congestive heart failure due to heartworms. Penny had severe cuts and sores all over her face, leading her rescuers to suspect she was used in dog fighting.
The veterinarians reached out to Donna Velez, founder of Hearts of Gold Pit Rescue in Memphis, Tennessee, to see if her organization could help. Despite her rescue being full and her own health issues, Donna asked them to send her some pictures. As soon as she saw Penny’s photos, she instructed the veterinarians to alleviate the dog’s pain and treat her. Donna told DogHeirs that she was determined to find a way to help Penny even if she couldn’t take her herself.
Donna then went to the clinic to see Penny in person. After just one look at the thin, injured puppy, Donna knew she would take her in. “I can’t not take her,” she reasoned. “She looked pitiful,” Donna admitted to DogHeirs, confessing, “I’m a goner once I see them.”
Donna started networking for Penny, and as luck would have it, a family in St. Louis saw Penny’s photo and immediately wanted to adopt her. The family already has two Pit Bulls and is experienced in dog care.
“She’s only been with us 10 days and she has a long way to go, but despite all of her shenanigans, she is a lovely dog, she just isn’t used to this lifestyle because she was abused for so long,” Jennifer posted on her Facebook page. “She’s come a long way since we got her.”
Penny’s health has improved significantly in just a few weeks. Her treatment for severe heartworm is working well, and she is learning a lot in her new home.
“Penny is definitely enjoying life right now!” Her appetite is huge, which is great because she didn’t want to eat the first day she got home, so maybe she’ll start gaining weight. She is still scared of our two sons, but I am working on carefully socializing them. She enjoys going for walks and wants to rush back to the house when we get home, but I have to stop her because of her health. Overall, this is a huge transition for everyone, but I compare it to having a new baby: lots of adjustments that gradually fall into place.”
However, Penny’s biggest surprise in her recovery occurred this week when she suddenly gave birth to a puppy. The baby girl was named Nickel. Despite the traumas and drugs Penny has endured, Nickel is in excellent health!
Penny is nursing Nickel, and when the puppy is ready, she will be placed with a foster home via Hearts of Gold Pit Rescue. Donna informed DogHeirs that baby Nickel may already have an adoptive family.
Penny’s new family beautifully summarizes Penny’s new situation and rescue: “Imagine what this pup’s life might have been like if the owners hadn’t dumped Penny. “Two lives have been saved!”
Jennifer, Penny and Nickel’s mother, shared the sad news. Penny died as a result of congestive heart failure. “I had to let her go last night because her heartworms were so severe that she had advanced congestive heart failure and her heart was more than three times the size of a normal heart,” Jennifer explained. She passed away quietly in my arms. Of course, Nickel will stay with us.”
“I miss Penny so much…she peed on my rug, ate my favorite hello kitty slippers, chewed up the door frames, and destroyed her kennel,” Jennifer said on Penny’s Facebook page. However, I never punished her. I followed through on my promise the day I discovered her story on my Facebook page. I said, “I want that dog so she can feel the love I give our boys and have the privileged life she deserves,” and I followed through. I intended
Nickel is already ten weeks old and receiving a lot of attention at home.
Jennifer emailed DogHeirs a photo of Nickel as an adult! “She’s quite the character!” Jen exclaims. Isn’t she sweet?
