Thanks to the combined compassion of two L.A.-based rescue organizations, a homeless dog is now on a journey from homelessness and heartbreak to healing and hope. Annie Hart, the Executive Director of The Bill Foundation, recounts the recent rescue of an inspirational dog named Bethany:
On Thursday Eldad from Hope For Paws – Animal Rescue received a call about a homeless dog that she was in really bad shape. Her skin was raw, swollen, covered in scabs and she was missing most of her fur. Eldad asked if The Bill Foundation could take this baby in and find her a home if he was able to rescue her. We needed less than a second to say “Yes” and right away, Eldad and I headed out to find this poor dog.
When we arrived, we could see she was in even worse shape than we had imagined. Not only was she covered in severe mange, she was completely dehydrated and having a difficult time standing up because of how infected her body was. The kind people who had called Eldad about her said that she had recently been pregnant, but had aborted her pups… most likely because her body was too sick maintain a pregnancy.
Bethany, as we have named her, cautiously welcomed our arrival and with the help of a few cheeseburgers and some chicken, she allowed us to rescue her.
All the way to the hospital Bethany insisted on being close to us. I was able to capture a very tender moment during the car ride between Bethany and Eldad. It’s by far one of my favorite rescue photos to date… I don’t think any words are needed to describe the true beauty of the moment between rescuer and dog that is celebrated in this photo.
Bethany has quite the gentle and trusting spirit and she allowed us to bathe her and scrub off ALL of the infected areas. She didn’t fight us at all, even though the pain had to have been unbearable. She must have known that we were there to help her.
Initial tests conclude that Bethany has severe mange and we are still awaiting tests to see what else she is suffering from. Regardless, she will need quite a bit of treatment and hospital care over the next month or so. The good news is we got to her in time and she should be OK long-term. I’m so grateful to know that Bethany is now safe and getting the care she so desperately needs.
The Bill Foundation– which provides comfort and care for 30 – 60 canines at any given time– has rescued more than 2,000 dogs from area shelters since its founding in 2000. For updates on Bethany and to find out how you can help The Bill Foundation, visit www.billfoundation.org or www.facebook.com/BillFoundationDogRescue.
Educating the public about the importance of companion animals in society, Hope for Paws is a non-profit animal rescue organization which rescues dogs and all other animals from situations of suffering on the streets and in shelters. For more information, visit www.hopeforpaws.org or www.facebook.com/HopeforPawsCalifornia.
Photo Credit: Annie Hart
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