When Kathy, an animal shelter worker in Tennessee, spotted an emaciated Rottweiler along the side of a highway, she figured the dog was a stray or had been cruelly abandoned there.
But Kathy soon realized that there was something different about “Ella.” Ella was friendly and eager for attention -- behavior that is unusual for either a stray or an abused animal. She had clearly been loved by someone.
There were more clues in the wooded area just off the highway. Kathy discovered a “nest” where Ella had been sleeping (upper left). It was strewn with someone’s personal items, including a toothbrush, razor, comb and candle.
Then Kathy remembered something crucial. A few weeks earlier, a terrible car wreck had taken place on the highway…very close to where Ella had made her makeshift home.
Could Ella have been in the car? Was it possible that she had survived the crash and gathered the items thrown from her family’s car? Was she now loyally waiting for someone’s return?
Help Pets Separated From Suffering Families
Kathy’s hunch soon proved true. She contacted the state’s highway patrol authorities and learned that a single car had flipped over and landed on the side of the road near Ella’s “nest.” A family of five had been in the car. Some members had been hospitalized, but they all survived.
Rescuers had never seen Ella, who had likely been thrown from the car. The dog foraged on her own for a few weeks, drinking from a drainage ditch and patiently waiting for beloved family members who thought their special pet was dead!
American Humane stepped in when we learned that the family’s medical bills had caused tremendous financial strain. Unfortunately, the family had moved to a home that did not allow pets. We provided a critical grant to Kathy’s animal shelter to help fund Ella’s care.
Though unable to bring Ella back into their home at this time, the family was thrilled to see her and hopes to be reunited for good in the future. Meanwhile, Ella is living safely and comfortably in a loving foster home.
During this month of giving thanks, please consider a donation to help fund American Humane’s Foreclosure Pets Grants. A single act of generosity -- no matter how small -- will make a tremendous difference for pets like Ella, whose families are undergoing extreme financial hardship.
*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Messaging & Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the "American Humane Association" by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at http://www.hmgf.org/t/. You can unsubscribe at any time by replying STOP to short code 85944; Reply HELP to 85944 for help.
Thanks to Susan Gallo for forwarding this to me.
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