JUPITER, Fla. — Thursday is National Rescue Dog Day. Six months ago to the day, a dog that was left in a dumpster at a Walmart in Fort Pierce was dropped off by a rescuer at Furry Friends Adoption Clinic and Ranch in Jupiter. It was the start of the recovery process and another milestone was reached.
"Oh, she is so beautiful. She looks absolutely amazing," said one of the veterinarian techs who cared for a dog, now named Lola.
A reunion months in the making took place outside Furry Friends.
"Her name is Lola," said Michele Jacobs, who adopted the dog. "We adopted her the weekend after Thanksgiving."
Lola's new mom, Michele, has a passion for rescue dogs and the true patience of a mother.
"When she came back to our house, she really struggled for the first three months," she said. "I slept with her in another room, and she really she is attached to me. She struggled with men for probably three months."
It's a level of patience similar to that practiced by those who work at Furry Friends.
"When you have a starving dog like that, you have to gradually bring them back, so we gave it the care we did," said Pat Deshong, president of Furry Friends Adoption Clinic and Ranch. "Two hounds that were dumped into a dumpster by Walmart to die. They were literally skin and bones, skin and bones."
Now, the hope is that this transformation will inspire others.
"I hope so," said Jacobs. "Absolutely, please adopt. Please rescue these babies. They are all so sweet and it's not their fault."
"(It) inspires us that we are doing the right thing," said Deshong, who explained that the mission is rescue, rehab and re-home. "Especially so close to death. We didn't know it was touch and go for a while. It's the best feeling in the world."
Lola is now 20 pounds heavier than six months ago. The love for her is growing as well.
"She was so abused, and you can look at her and see all the scars on her," said Jacobs. "She has parts of her ears missing and her tail is only half the size it should be, so we know she has been through a lot. She is the sweetest, smartest, precocious little teenager around."
It just goes to show, the saying is true.
"All dogs are good dogs, yep, and they wake up happy every single day," said Jacobs.
