It was the curiosity of a young girl that noted a truck entering the alley, stopping briefly by the dumpster, and then speeding away, leading her to a gruesome discovery. It was a dog, hairless and covered with blood. At first it seemed as if the dog was dead, since it was not moving, but at closer look, she could see that he was still breathing. Mostly dead is slightly alive, so for this dog, this was the start of a miracle.
Wesley was transported 350 mi. to PAWS of Austin in Austin, TX. His foster family was very concerned, because he did not want to eat or drink. His body and spirit were too weak from the infection that was consuming his body. Syringed fluids, pain meds, and antibiotics slowly did their part, but Wesley still did not move much and his eyes said “why don’t you just let me die”. But by day 4, he finally ate some food that was hand fed to him. On the 6th day, still lying motionless, bleeding from cracks in the skin that appeared each time he was moved to change the bedding, we saw the first wag of his tail. A sign that he decided life was worth living.
It was a long road to recovery with a constant threat of infection present. The companion dogs at his foster family originally wouldn’t approach him, presumably because of the stench of decay. However, they gradually moved closer, seeming to offer encouragement. It was his new Great Dane friend Beau that was the first to make physical contact, a small sniff of his head and a lick to the ear. Weeks later, Wesley and Beau were playing freely in the back yard, indicating it was time for Wesley to consider adoption.
Applications for Wesley were sporadic, due to his pitiful look and the fact that he was a mix breed, but after a couple of months, Wesley found the perfect home with an elderly couple living in the country 2 hours from Austin. And so Wesley discovered some wonderful new humans to love.
After Wesley was dropped off at his new home, his foster family cried most of the drive back to Austin, but soon were distracted by another foster dog entrusted to them. A follow-up visit to Wesley’s new home 6 months later confirmed it. “He’s my favorite dog ever” said his new human going on to describe how they walk together and are best friends. It was then that the foster family realized that not only does this rescue save the lives of dogs, but enriches the lives of the humans they contact as well. Clearly Wesley was special, a survivor of a human’s worst neglect, and deserving nothing but the best forevermore.
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PAWS of Austin is a non-profit animal rescue organization in Austin, Texas, established to provide refuge to stray and unwanted companion animals. PAWS breed expertise is Great Danes but they also provide refuge and welfare to other breeds. PAWS strives to prevent cruelty to all animals by promoting humane standards through education and example, to provide care and shelter for homeless animals, and aid in the reduction of domestic animal overpopulation and in the enforcement of laws, including the investigation of animal cruelty and abuse. Their main goal is to provide the best possible care for the animals in their care and find them new, permanent, loving homes.
