On a day in Texas, a small abandoned puppy sought refuge under Abigail’s car, crying for help. Her frail and emaciated appearance resembled that of a skeletal figure, showing the extent of her extreme weakness.
The compassionate rescuers offered her help by providing her with some food and water, while giving her space as she trembled in fear.
Finally, she mustered up the courage to get herself out of hiding.
When the puppy, later named Ellie, emerged from under the car, Abigail (Ellie’s rescuer) quickly put a leash on her.
Ellie was completely terrified. “She just went into turtle mode,” Abigail told The Dodo.
But, at that moment, the most important thing was to get her to the vet as soon as possible. They thought she had parvovirus, a virus that is highly contagious and deadly if untreated.
Fortunately, it wasn’t parvovirus.
“Our vet told us that she had been eating so much junk that her stomach was really hurting. But in a few weeks she should be as good as new,” Abigail said.
The poor baby had survived on garbage for who knows how long, but luckily she reached the right person who was going to help her heal.
At the vet, Abigail found out that Ellie was only about six months old, so she was still just a baby.
Although you would never have known it from looking at her dry, flaky coat, Ellie was actually a Golden Retriever mix.
During the first few days at Abigail’s house, Ellie was still quite scared.
She “she was completely unresponsive for the first few days. But she learned that we weren’t going to hurt her. It was really just a matter of trying to get her to come out of her shell,” Abigail said.
Growing up as a beautiful golden girl
After a couple of days, she finally regained some energy to go outside.
“The tennis ball, she saw it and immediately got hooked. She wanted to play, she carries it within her. From then on, it was much better,” Abigail said.
It was so cute to see Ellie play and act like a puppy should.
Little by little, she transformed into such a lively and fun dog. Her skin and coat also improved and she became healthier every day.
“We really made sure she allowed herself to feel comfortable.”
Now, Ellie is a completely different dog, almost unrecognizable. She grew into a beautiful golden girl with lush fur and lots of personality.
She loves to ride in the car, stick her head and paws out the window and go to the beach.
The first time they took her to the beach to celebrate her recovery, she was the happiest girl in the world.
She started digging and she went crazy running down the beach, looking out at the ocean. She loved it. “It was such a monumental moment for her.”
Ellie is a true fighter and she worked hard to get to the point she is at now. She had an incredible recovery.
Ellie has her own Instagram account if you want to follow her and see more of her life.
Be sure to also follow Artemis Animal Rescue, Texas, and support her rescue program.