The other day, a woman in Cleveland, Texas, learned about a white puppy stranded in a scrapyard pond off a busy highway. The Good Samaritan raced to the scene, hoping the report was inaccurate. But as she pulled up, she was devastated to learn it was true.
“She arrived at the scrapyard to find that the puppy had been taken out of the pond and laid aside,” Karlin Medlin, ThisIsHouston Rescue’s (TIH) medical coordinator, told The Dodo. “The little baby was very injured …”
Although someone had kindly removed the puppy from the pond, they still sadly left without her. And the poor girl, who was covered in wounds, had no way of getting help on her own.
The Good Samaritan didn’t know anything about the puppy’s backstory, but she could tell just by looking at her that she’d been a lifelong survivor.
“It's unknown how long she was in the water,” Medlin said. “Life has not been kind to her, and she has probably been on her own for a while.”
Without skipping a beat, the Good Samaritan called TIH, who immediately agreed to take her in. A couple of hours later, the dog, whom they named Pretzel, arrived at TIH’s emergency clinic, and the team got straight to work caring for her.
Pretzel’s recovery process was painstaking for both her and the TIH team. Her wounds were severely infected, and they needed to be thoroughly cleaned so she could heal properly. She was also malnourished, requiring a strict refeeding plan that would help her safely gain weight again.
The sweet girl was understandably scared, but she quickly developed an innate trust in her caregivers at TIH, who spent every waking moment making sure she was comfortable.
“She was obviously in shock and very weak, but very accepting of help,” Medlin said. “I personally went to the ER to see her, and she was calm and quiet, and seemed to love the head rubs and baby talk from me.”
It’s been a few days since Pretzel arrived at TIH, and she is working on regaining her strength and spirit. She’s perked up after having a blood transfusion, and she’s started eating on her own.
Sadly, one of her legs will need to be amputated later this week. But the TIH team is confident that losing the broken and infected leg will help Pretzel feel better in the long run, and they can’t wait to see her feeling like herself again.
“Her future is very bright!” Medlin said. “She is young and will adapt very well. We will work hard to heal her physical wounds, as well as her little heart and spirit.”
You can see Pretzel’s recovery so far here:
The TIH staff are now Pretzel’s biggest cheerleaders, happily caring for her on every step of her recovery journey. They cherish their time with the precious girl, but they ultimately look forward to finding her a good home one day, where she can really thrive.
After everything she’s been through in her few months of life so far, a loving family is exactly what she deserves.
“When she is ready, we will find her the very best home so she can live her best life!” Medlin said. “She's a DOLL!”
