No one truly knows what Goldie went through before she was found on the streets of South Carolina and brought to an overburdened shelter.
From the moment she arrived, she froze in place, overwhelmed by confusion and sorrow.
A staff member knelt beside her and gently stroked her in hopes of easing her fear, but Goldie did not react.
Placed in a kennel, the sweet Labrador curled up on a tattered blanket, lowered her head, and stared at the wall, lost in hopelessness.
Days passed without anyone coming to claim her. Goldie remained silent and withdrawn. With resources stretched thin, the shelter began considering her for the euthanasia list.
A Lifeline From A Volunteer
One volunteer could not forget Goldie’s vacant stare and decided to fight for her.
They contacted Hounds in Pounds, a New Jersey rescue known for saving at-risk dogs from euthanasia, and sent photos and video asking for help.
Goldie also tested positive for heartworm and needed prompt treatment.
The footage shook the rescue team.
“When we saw the video of her staring at the wall, shaking, we knew we had to get her help,” a representative from Hounds In Pounds told The Dodo.
Working quickly, the team coordinated with the volunteer and a local veterinarian who agreed to take Goldie in temporarily so she could recover. For the first time in a long while, there was real hope for her future.
When staff led her out of the kennel, Goldie still wore a sad expression. She did not yet know that everything was about to change.
First Steps Toward Healing
Under veterinary care, the gentle Lab is finally receiving steady attention. She has a soft bed of her own and has begun to relax.
Little by little, Goldie is learning to trust again.
A trainer joined her care plan to encourage movement and confidence. The shift was almost immediate as her body language softened.
“She gets better each day. She is still shut down but starting to trust. She had her first session with a trainer who got her up and moving with ease, and today she was walking around the clinic with no convincing,” the representative added.
Once she is medically cleared and stable, Goldie will travel to New Jersey and settle into a foster home. That step will bring her closer to the forever family she has always deserved.
With patience, treatment, and compassion, there is every reason to believe Goldie will fully heal and find a home where she is cherished.