Owning a dog comes with a lot of responsibility, but sadly, not all ‘owners’ realize or want to acknowledge that.
In Houston, Texas, one dog owner left his poor pup chained up outside in awful conditions for six long years.
She was sick, malnourished, and required medical care, which the owner did not want to provide.
Thankfully, the dedicated rescuers, street feeders, and animal control officers did manage to eventually convince the owner to surrender the dog so she could finally receive the much-needed care.
A Brighter Future Ahead
When rescuers got a message about a dog who was kept outside in terrible conditions by her owner, they wasted no time in their efforts to save her.
They hurried over, determined to persuade the owner to surrender the dog into their care. But, when they finally saw the dog in person, their hearts just dropped.
“He walked us over to an open garage in the backyard, where she was hiding. She looked like a skeleton, cowering in the corner. It was clear that she had mange and needed help a long time ago,” the rescuer told The Dodo.
When inquired about the last time the dog had visited a vet, the owner mentioned that it had been over three years.
Fortunately, their persuasive efforts paid off, and they successfully convinced the owner to surrender the poor dog to a rescue organization that would provide her with the best possible care.
They promptly placed the dog in a crate and drove her away to a brighter and more promising future. She deserved much more.
Meanwhile, Caitie Evers, from Caitie’s Foster Fam, a non-profit rescue organization, was eagerly waiting to pick up her new foster dog – later named Marilyn – and bring her to a loving new home.
“She had no meat on her bones, no fur. Dogs show so much emotion in their ears, and when we first had her, her ears – they were downwards and sad,” Caitie said.
Marilyn had completely lost her fur, battled two types of mange and fleas, suffered from skin infections, was underweight, and had multiple litters over the years.
Fortunately, everything was easily treatable in contrast to her previous owner’s claim that he had to spend thousands of dollars attempting to address her health issues.
An Incredible Glow Up
Once Marilyn settled into her foster home, they immediately began her treatment.
Caitie shared an update on Facebook, saying, “Marilyn is getting a bath a week per doctor’s orders. She is not a fan. But she is so sweet and patient with me. She’s getting antifungal and anti-yeast medication, steroids, flea/tick preventative, antibiotics, and medicated baths.”
Just a week later, you could see a huge improvement in her condition.
Marilyn’s routine consisted of eating, sleeping, bath-time, and then repeating the cycle.
“A month and a half into it was when she started feeling healthy enough. Now, her ears were just straight up, happy, and alert,” Caitie said.
In no time, Marilyn became completely unrecognizable. She now has gorgeous new fur, wears a beaming smile, and is completely healthy – a stark contrast to her previous life in her former home.
The only thing left is to find her a loving forever home.
A New Forever Home
Despite her past, Marilyn’s favorite thing in the world is human affection, and fortunately, she found the perfect family in Wisconsin that has so much love to give her.
“After months of no interest in Houston and lots of training (and progress) on her reactivity to other dogs, we decided the best decision for Marilyn was to transport her to Wisconsin to be adopted,” Caitie said in a post.
Marilyn – now known as Nala – is the happiest girl in her forever home on the shores of Lake Michigan, being spoiled with endless love.
She has the best kitty friend named Jasmine and is living the spoiled life she always deserved.
Follow Nala on her Instagram – @nala.marilyn.