Second chance for young dogs

Sometimes life can look bleak and hopeless until someone steps in to help.

That can be true for animals as well as people.

In July, PAWS and More Animal Shelter in Washington received a call from rural Clinton seeking help for three young dogs who were in a dire situation.

'There was no shelter or resources there,” PAWS Director Amber Talbot said. 'A woman had rescued these dogs from a neglect situation.”

On July 30, a PAWS board member drove more than 100 miles to see the dogs, and the situation was worse than expected.

'What they saw was astonishing and more heartbreaking than you can imagine,” Talbot said. 'Their bodies were painful to look at. Fresh wounds covered them.”

The dogs were being kept in an outdoor kennel in squalid conditions, lying in their own filth.

'The dogs had gone from one bad situation to another,” Talbot said. 'The lady who had taken them in, her heart was in the right place, but she was just overwhelmed.”

The trio of dogs was transported back to Washington and brought to a veterinarian.

They were all suffering severe cases of mange, fungal and bacterial infections and secondary infections.

'They were in really rough shape,” Talbot said.

The dogs – two females and a male – are all under 2 years old, and Talbot believes they may be siblings.

Talbot said they are a mix of many breeds, calling them 'American shelter dogs.”

PAWS launched a fundraiser on Facebook to help pay for the dogs' medical bills and raised $2,000 in 24 hours.

'It was remarkable,” Talbot said. 'We had a lot of support.”

It was a long road to physical recovery for the dogs, now named Mara, Brielle and Pringle.

The PAWS staff had to give the dogs special baths to nurse their seeping, infected wounds.

The dogs were not just suffering physically, though.

'The most heartbreaking part was how fearful they were,” Talbot said. 'They cowered together and tremble, taking comfort in each other since they've been the only comfort they've ever had.

'The saddest thing is, due to the severity of the problems, they were probably suffering their whole lives.”

They tucked their tails, refusing to leave their kennels and had to be carried everywhere.

Gradually, their bodies and spirits began to heal.

After a few weeks, the dogs were able and willing to go out to the shelter's playyard on leashes and begin to explore, all the while building trust and confidence.

'Now, they are wiggly little puppies,” Talbot said.

Last weekend, Brielle was adopted.

Mara is in foster care and may soon be adopted.

Her foster parents say that she is making lots of progress.

They say she is 'super sweet and loves to snuggle.”

She is still easily spooked but loves to play with other dogs.

Pringle is at the shelter but is expected to be adopted this weekend.

He is a friendly, playful boy who likes people and toys, as well as playing outside.

'It's the most heartwarming thing you can ever feel,” Talbot said. 'That's why we keep doing this.

'We do this every day, because we're helping them and saving them.”