Just by looking at all the pictures below, you can tell right away that the girl in our story today had a really tough life before she was rescued. Her neck fur was all black, caused by the heavy chain she had around her neck. This chain was locked up with a big padlock and no one knew how long she had been living with this heavy thing around.
This pup, named Violet, was spotted in terrible condition by a kind person in December 2016. Heartbreakingly, she wasn’t alone; there were five other dogs with her, all chained up in the same way in Miguel County, New Mexico.
Violet was about 2 years old when they found her, and it’s possible she’d been chained up her whole life.
Keeping dogs chained without their owners around is against the law in Miguel County. So right when the good Samaritan saw what was happening with these poor dogs, an emergency call was made to the Animal Welfare Coalition of Northeastern New Mexico for help. Quickly, the rescue team appeared at the place to rescue this pack of dogs.
Later, information about the dogs’ owner was investigated and the reason why this pack of dogs was chained up was revealed. It turned out that the owner was in jail for some reason, leaving the dogs alone and forgotten.
Violet and other dogs were then taken into the care of the county sheriff’s department and NMDOG.
After rescuing Violet and other dogs, the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Department and NMDOG, an organization experienced in rescuing chained dogs, stepped in to provide assistance and took these abandoned dogs under their control.
They took the pack of dogs to the vet for some much-needed medical care. At that time, Violet was in bad shape—sunburned skin and a condition called flystrike, where maggots eat away at a poor animal’s flesh.
Gradually, along with care and love, though Violet is still shy and fearful, she is getting better now.
“She was very, very afraid, and is still a little timid,” Angela said. “If you raise your hand to do something, or move your hand too fast, she kind of ducks and cowers, like you’re going to hit her. I can’t imagine what somebody did to make her do that. But she is coming around with nice words and good, positive interactions.”
She’s learning to trust people and becoming more comfortable in her new environment day by day. She’s also learning how to play, enjoy life, and be a happy pup.
Violet never got to have puppyhood. But now she finally can.
Violet even got her very first toy – a squeaky raccoon. “I’ve caught her a couple of times playing with her squeaky raccoon toy,” Angela said. “She’ll bat it a bit, and then look around to see if anybody is watching her. So she’ll be very playful and carefree, and will be able to put this all behind her.”
“She’s very sweet, and she’s opening up to us and the staff at the clinic,” Angela said. “She really likes her stuffed animals, and she likes to curl up in her blanket. She likes to go for walks. She’s just learning about the world around her, and not being chained anymore.”
As Violet’s recovery journey continues, she has a whole life ahead of her.
Angela Stell hopes she’ll find a loving home where she’s part of the family and gets to live indoors.
“She needs a home that will treat her as a member of the family, and keep her inside with them the majority of the time, because she’s really going to be prone to sunburn,” Angela said. “She needs a little princess home.”
