It’s always shocking the things people will do to a defenseless animal. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, another awful case emerges.
But after one poor puppy was found in awful condition, she’s finally getting the proper love she needs after being found by just the right person.
Last April, someone was rummaging through a trash bin in Coachella Valley, California when they heard a faint noise. They were shocked to realize that it was coming from a puppy, left for dead in a Walmart bag and tossed in the trash.
They took the poor abandoned puppy to a nearby jewelry store. The owner called her daughter, Alejandra Espinoza Zazueta, and the two looked at the puppy and realized her condition was worse than they imagined.
The dog appeared severely burned. Her back skin was “completely rotten” and gave off a foul smell.
“We didn’t know if she was going to make it,” Alejandra told People.
They rushed her to the hospital for emergency medical treatment. The skin on her back had to be surgically removed, and staff at the McGrath Veterinary Center concluded that the burns were the result of intentional abuse.
“This type of injury is caused either by a severe thermal burn or exposure to corrosive chemicals,” center owner Brian McGrath said.
Alejandra named the dog Hope, because she was a “fighter” who made it through this terrible ordeal.
While she survived, she was still in weak condition and had to be put on a regimen of antibiotics and pain killers.
She slowly began to recover—but there was no movement in her hind legs, and the staff became concerned that she could be paralyzed.
All those medical issues and needed extra care might’ve made it hard for Hope to find a forever home… but luckily, that was one thing she didn’t have to worry about: Alejandra stepped up to adopt the poor dog, pledging to take care of her even if she was paralyzed.
“She has a home and we’re waiting for her eagerly,” she told People. “We have everything [for her], we’re ready, and we’re just waiting for the day that they call us and say we can go pick her up.”
It’s clear that she was rescued by just the perfect person. However, the sick owners who brutalized the puppy still remained at large.
Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation offered a $10,000 reward for information on the culprit. It isn’t clear if they have ever been brought to justice, though another woman who dumped puppies in the same area around the same time did go to jail.
But whether or not the culprit is ever found, the important thing is that Hope is now loved and on the road to recovery.
“I just want [Hope] to feel loved, that is all I want,” Alejandra said. “I want her to know that a lot of people care about her and she is safe with me and I can promise her that it won’t ever happen to her ever again.”
We feel terrible this puppy went through this ordeal, and hope the culprit is brought to justice someday.
But we’re glad Hope is doing better and has a loving new home—a happy ending to a terrible incident. Share this story!
