As you may know, I’d do just about anything to help a neglected or abused animal, even if it means getting arrested. In fact, it’s #12 on my bucket list. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m not looking forward to it, but it’s probably inevitable. Fair warning: this post isn’t humorous but it has a happy ending.

Being in feral cat rescue for 20 years, I’ve had my life threatened, been chased, harassed, flipped off, even had our equipment destroyed and stolen. Fun stuff. But I’m not intimidated, nor are my cohorts. We’re fearless (which might not be smart) because when an animal is being abused or neglected, we take action.

In our area, Animal Control can’t remove a pet who has food, shelter, water, and who seems to be in good physical condition. So when they were called to check on this dog (let’s call her Sadie), she appeared to be okay. But when her physical condition deteriorated, our phone rang. The caller was worried Animal Control might have to return the dog. But us? Not a chance. There was only one solution:

As the story goes…

We were called about a horribly neglected dog who lived in a pint-size, cemented backyard. According to a neighbor, Sadie was alone day and night, never allowed inside. When discovered, her fur was matted into dreadlocks. Fur had even grown into her mouth, like thick rope adhering to her gums. She couldn’t fully close her mouth or easily chew.

That’s all we needed to know to plan our doggie heist.

One of my cohorts (let’s call him Kevin), and I, made our plan to abscond with Sadie. We used Kevin’s vehicle, removing any identifying stickers (this wasn’t our first rodeo) before we parked in front of the residence. Dressed in gear like a county maintenance worker, Kevin knocked on their door while I hid out of sight. When nobody answered, we made our way into the backyard.

To get Sadie to emerge from her debilitated wooden shelter, Kevin enticed her with treats. She cautiously exited, following the treat trail, then quickly engulfed them. I was shocked by her physical condition, worried that years of neglect may have made her aggressive and distrustful. But as we led her into a carrier, she appeared relieved to be getting out of there.

On the way to his house, Kevin called a friend who does dog grooming. She met us in his garage where Sadie received what was likely her first haircut. It was a tedious process trying to cut through a mass of matted fur. Ultimately, Sadie needed to be shaved nearly bald but she was a trooper through it all. What a sweetheart.

Sadie wasn’t spayed or vaccinated (surprise, surprise) so once again, it was Kevin to the rescue in arranging for his vet to spay her. Turns out she had life-threatening pyometra, a puss-filled uterus common in unspayed dogs. It was the worse case the vet has seen. Sadie spent a week in ICU but fully recovered.

Kevin fostered Sadie until he found the perfect family to adopt her. And boy did she hit the jackpot with them. This previously lonely, isolated pup must have thought she was in heaven, which may be why her new family named her Angel. It’s been a year since we rescued her and she no longer resembles, in manner or looks, the canine she once was.

With her scintillating personality, Angel quickly became besties with the dog next door. She’s an active gal now, full of life; no more sleeping all day out of boredom. These days Angel is playing catch-up — she has places to go, dog friends to see, and lots of playing to do. It’s heartwarming to see her joy.

So THANK YOU to the concerned neighbor who alerted us to her predicament; to Kevin for being instrumental in pulling off the doggie heist; to Kevin’s vet for saving her life; and to the family who every day shows Angel how it feels to be loved.