Despite dogs’ natural friendly demeanor, some people can still cause them harm. This happened to Willow, a Husky, who was a victim of abuse throughout her life.
Based on official findings, Willow’s owner was the perpetrator behind her sorry state. When Willow was rescued, she was severely malnourished because her owner had starved her for a long time. Due to her condition, the dog could not get up alone when the rescuers found her.
Fortunately, the Murray County Animal Shelter’s volunteers immediately stepped in and took the dog under their care. The organization’s director, Julie Wynn, also promised to go after Willow’s owner for neglect and animal cruelty.
The animal shelter partnered with Perry’s Promise, an organization that aids rescued dogs. Janice Thornton handled Willow’s case and said she would sue the dog’s owner. But more than suing the dog’s owner, the focus of Janice’s group is Willow’s immediate recovery.
Janice said Willow arrived at the shelter in a sorry state, wherein the dog was sick because of malnutrition. Willow would have died if not for the timely intervention of the rescuers from Murray Animal Shelter.
Willow recovered from a walking skeleton into a healthy 55-pound dog in no less than a month. This became possible because of the kindness and perseverance of Perry’s Promise. The volunteers from this group mentioned that they saw how fighter Willow was because she wanted to live.
Despite the dog’s condition, she was calm and showed no aggressive behavior towards the volunteers. Willow was also gentle and loved licking the volunteers who helped her.
With the dog’s attitude, Janice thought of putting Willow into service dog training. Willow underwent a series of tests and eventually passed them.
Afterward, she entered the Warrior Freedom Service Dogs, where she trained for about a month to aid soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder. As she transitions to her life as a service dog, Janice hopes Willow will find her purpose despite her ugly past.
Credits to Perry’s Promise, Inc.