In late September of 2019, I wrote an article for FOTAS about a young dog who was picked up by animal control in the sizzling heat of July and brought to the Aiken County Animal Shelter. Her condition was shocking. Aside from being terrified, starving, and dangerously dehydrated, she was completely hairless and bleeding from the sores covering her body. As I said at the time, DeeDee (as we subsequently named her) was hard to look at without grimacing with heartbreak and outrage—someone cared so little for this sweet little dog that they failed to provide medical care when she needed it, and when her condition became critical, they dumped her on a county road in the dead of summer to die.
The thing was, as angry as I was, DeeDee wasn’t mad and disappointed at all. She was grateful and forgiving, cheerful and kind. She never stopped wagging her tail. She loved people, children, and other dogs. She was a volunteer favorite.
FOTAS was determined to fix her ailments and find her a good home. We treated her for Demodex mange, which is not contagious, and found a kind foster to help her recover in a less stressful environment. We successfully treated her for allergies. She recovered beautifully, and not long after we published the article about her, she was adopted by a wonderful gentleman who loved and adored her and renamed her Steely. It was one of those success stories that brought tears to our eyes. I was humbled by Steely’s courage and willingness to love and be loved, as well as her adopter’s depth of care and concern.
Sadly, life has thrown the lovely Steely (ne DeeDee) an unfortunate fast ball. Several weeks ago, the gentleman who adopted Steely died, leaving Steely and three other household dogs without a home. All four dogs were brought to the County Shelter, and in short order, three of those dogs found new homes. But not Steely.
That breaks our heart. Not only is Steely grieving the loss of her beloved human, she is doing so in a strange place without her canine buddies, and the stress of it all has caused her allergies to flare up—she began to scratch herself to distraction. The shelter vet, Dr. Rodriquez, is watching her closely and monitoring her care.
Bottom line? Steely needs a home, fast. She is as sweet and affectionate as she always was. She adores people, children, and other dogs. She is now 4 years-old, weighs 48 pounds, is heartworm negative, housebroken, and easy to walk.
Steely is, quite literally, the perfect dog, and we want her to find an owner who will shower her with the same love she showers on all humans. Will it be you?
Please don’t wait. Call the Aiken County Animal Shelter.
Their lives are in our hands.
By Joanna D. Samson, FOTAS vice president
