This past Monday, I was out walking shelter dogs before the shelter opened when I heard my
name being called. I turned around to see one of our kindest volunteers yelling for help. She had
just spent an hour on the side of the road with another kind woman who had stopped, trying to
catch a stray dog.
The poor dog needed patience, food, and kindness to earn her trust.
What was so shocking was her condition.
She had a carabiner embedded through her neck. Not pinching her skin — actually through her
skin. You could feel the pain just looking at her, yet she was wagging her tail.
This little thirty-pound girl was so grateful that people wanted to help her.
Our veterinarian explained that it was an embedded carabiner, similar to the embedded collars
we sadly see far too often.
I cannot imagine the pain of having something around your neck so tight and for so long that
your body actually grows around it — let alone a metal carabiner.
Although this sweet girl cannot tell us her story, we imagine she may have been tied outside for a
very long time and repeatedly pulled against the tie-out until it became embedded in her neck.
During surgery, we saw just how deeply this contraption had grown into her skin. It was
heartbreaking.
And yet…
After surgery, her tail wagged again.
She was soft, happy, and loving. There was no fear. No aggression. Just happiness.
Once again, we were reminded of something we see every day at the shelter — dogs have an
incredible resilience. They are so quick to forgive and move forward, even after a past filled with
neglect.
We named this little six-year-old girl Alice.
She is healing beautifully and will be available for adoption soon. She will likely need a little
training as she appears to have spent a long time living tied outside. She absolutely loves food, is
highly food motivated, and she is so grateful for her new dog bed.
Thank you to the two women who stopped and took the time to help catch her. If they hadn’t,
who knows if Alice would have ever received the help she so desperately needed.
Please do not ignore animal abuse or neglect. It could be happening next door. If you see an
animal in distress, call Animal Control and report it.
Be their voice.
Their lives are in our hands.
by Kathy Cagle, FOTAS Programs Coordinator