The Wonderful Wonder

Meet Wonder.

She was scheduled to die in a Dallas, NC shelter on Monday, 2.7.11.

In hopes of saving her life, Wonder was posted on my facebook app, Pet Pardons. 
Well... it just so happens... I'm the Co-Founder of Pet Pardons...

So... one day... as I was scrolling through the pet listings on our site... I saw Wonder’s picture…

I've been involved in animal rescue all of my life.
Yet, I've rarely seen a more heartbreaking photo.

Honestly... it wasn’t the condition of the dog that got to me… it was her broken spirit.

Wonder has lived her entire life without love… never experiencing kindness or compassion... acknowledgment or hugs... smiles or comfort. 

Instead... Wonder has been tortured & abused for much of her life.

At some point, her ears were painfully and inhumanely cropped --with scissors or a knife.

She's also been over-bred, under-fed, and beaten down... all the days of her life.

Then... she ended up at the animal shelter... where she was quickly scheduled to die.

At the time this shelter photo was taken... Wonder had completely given up.
She was ready to die...

So...

After seeing Wonder on Pet Pardons, I contacted my Pet Pardons Co-Founder, Chris Hoar. Chris & I were equally affected by her picture. We just kept going back to her… and we couldn’t get her off our minds.

For me... this is how it starts.
I see an incredibly deserving dog... so, I start busting my ass to save them.

It’s always a race. There isn’t much time. Resources are slim.
But they need you.
This dog needed me.

So.... after unsuccessful attempts to find another rescue for Wonder, I simply told Chris, “I want her.”

Chris usually gets so mad at me when I say this, “Ashley! Are you crazy? You already do so much! Don’t overload yourself! No, no, no!”

This time, Chris said, “She's so broken. She needs you. No one else could make this one right. Only you. Do it.”

And so... I started the process of getting Wonder to my home to be my new foster baby. The amazing Jessamy donated to Wonder’s care, and I was able to set-up transport through the help of some INCREDIBLE volunteers (Thanks Mary, Dorothy, Geoff, Marsha, & Vanessa!!!).

And then... today... Wonder traveled the 8 hour trip from Dallas, North Carolina to Meridian, Mississippi...
To meet her new foster mom—ME!!!

Wonder’s entire existence has been filled with abuse, neglect, and hatred… until today.

Today, her life starts over.
Today, she learned what love is.
Today, she became part of my family… even if only for a short while.

I will love her with my entire heart... until she finds her forever family.

And when that day comes, I will let her go… because I'll know: she is safe now… Forever.

Happy Birthday, Wonder! Today you get to start over. Today, your life begins.

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