Dogs who suffer abuse and neglect often carry both visible and invisible scars. Yet, even after everything, so many of them still hold onto hope that better days will come.
In North Carolina, a sweet Pittie named Star came terrifyingly close to the inevitable: a passerby spotted a person attempting to throw the dog off a bridge. Star, who was already emaciated and starving, was barely clinging to life.
After surviving this horrific attempt, Star was transported to the shelter, where her new chapter began. As it turned out, it was only the beginning of a wonderful transformation journey!
“She Was Extremely Underweight And Emaciated”
After the bridge tragedy, Star was rushed to Hope Animal Rescue. The staff and volunteers were heartbroken at her condition.
She was so thin, her bones were visible through her skin, and it was clear she had been neglected for a long time.
“She was brought into the shelter by someone that witnessed her being attempted to be dumped over a bridge. You could see pretty much every bone in her body. She was extremely underweight and emaciated and probably had been for a long time,” Emily Star’s foster mom, told The Dodo.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the rescue to match Star with the perfect foster mom. She was brought home by Emily, who welcomed her with an open heart.
During the first few weeks, adjusting to a home environment wasn’t easy for Star. She was still under a lot of pressure, often startled by everyday sounds like the microwave or vacuum.
It all suggested that she may never have lived inside a house before. But Emily didn’t lose hope.
Two Months Later: She’s A Brand-New Dog
Emily dedicated herself to helping Star heal, and it’s safe to say that she did a great job!
With good food, gentle care, and endless patience, this sweet doggo began to regain her strength. But more importantly, she began to regain her confidence!
Emily’s Instagram video shows Star’s incredible progress over the course of two months, and the change was nothing short of remarkable.
With a proper diet, she looked nothing like her old self. Star became a healthy-looking Pittie girl, and her foster mom couldn’t have been happier!
“Now we’re at about the two-month mark, and she looks at her ideal weight and very healthy now,” Emily added in an interview.
There was no doubt: Star’s eyes and playful spirit began to shine through!
She learned to relax around new sounds, enjoy snuggles, and take comfort in the love her mom provided. Once a skeletal dog with no confidence at all, Star was now a brand-new Pittie, ready for a second chance.
Emily truly hopes Star’s future family will understand her needs.
“The ideal family for Star, she might do best as the only pet. However, we do think with continued training and exposure that she could eventually have dog friends. Wherever she goes, we just want them to provide her a landing pad full of patience and just time to process the world,” Emily explained.
For now, Star is safe and loved. And when her forever family finally comes along, they won’t just be adopting a dog, they’ll be welcoming a survivor who fought her way back to life and is ready to give her heart.