Chained inside a junkyard for years, this eight-year-old pit bull had lost her trust for humans. People called her “mean” and “gross,” but two roommates couldn’t watch her life be wasted on the wrong side of a chain link fence. They decided to rescue her, but helping a dog that has been neglected and mistreated for years is never simple.
On the first day outside of the junkyard, the roommates had to muzzle her while they tried to get her collar off. She was afraid to be touched, but the collar she’d been wearing for years was digging into her neck. When it was finally removed, it was caked in mud and blood and revealed a large wound that had been left to fester.
With her collar off, the long process of recovery and building trust started. She refused to walk through doors and was nervous about being inside. If anyone tried to approach her, she would growl and show her teeth.
It took weeks to see improvement, but the dog’s rescuers refused to believe it when people said she couldn’t be saved. They were patient and kind, and more importantly, they didn’t give up. One of the rescuers wrote on Imgur,
“I won’t lie and say I was 100% convinced this dog could be saved, but I sure as hell was going to try.”
After a month, the former junkyard dog finally felt safe enough to be pet. She was still uncomfortable inside, but she found solace in her new favorite spot on the front porch. With more time, she let her rescuers get closer and closer. Eventually, she was sitting in their laps and attacking them with kisses.
It was suddenly obvious that the dog no one believed in was ready and willing to start life over again. But before she could really move on, she needed a name. The first time she laid her head in her new owner’s lap was when they officially called her Princess. Her owner said,
“Even if she’s past her prime, she deserved the princess treatment.”
It wasn’t easy to help this junkyard dog find her way to being a front porch princess, but her story is proof that with love and patience, dogs can learn to trust again.
Featured Image Source: Imgur/killsley
