The Story of "Abena": From the Streets to Spokes-Doggy

She came from a nightmare life on the streets of Taiwan. Abena spent her first few years not owned by anyone, surrounded by those who put no value on her life; often kicked and screamed at as a "pest," scrounging for what little food she could find. Finally, she was tricked into eating a firecracker, which resulted in injuries so severe that she would have died if a kind man hadn't alerted a Taiwanese rescue group to her whereabouts.

After three reconstructive surgeries, she looked like a different dog, and was ready to try to find a forever home that could understand about her unique medical needs and her shyness. She ended up in the United States at The Big Dog Project Rescue in Silverdale, Washington. Her soon-to-be adoptive mom saw her on petfinder.com and knew Abena was the one for her family!

Three months later, The Big Project received two more Taiwanese mouth-injury dogs, Amber and Mico, both missing parts of their jaws due to cruelty. Abena's new mom took them, too! Now these three once-desperate girls, along with their American sister Tika, go around to schools and give presentations to children about making positive differences in the world around them. They have become spokes-doggies for kindness, patience, and spreading love -- which is a long way from where they came from.

Abena's owner is a beacon of hope for all of us who aim to make a difference in the life of shelter animals. We applaud her, the work that she has done, and the continued spirit of kindness she spreads to our younger generations.

From: The Big Dog Project Rescue
Jennifer Morris Silverdale, WA