You can learn a lot about Wink’s story from his 2 favorite songs. His adoptive “grandpa” is a pianist, and Wink loves to groove to the 80’s Golden Girls hit, “Thank You For Being A Friend” and Frank Sinatra’s “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You.” These are fitting tunes for the Jack Russell Terrier mix whose life was transformed when he met his savior, Kim Smith.
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In the less than 3 years he has been on this earth, Wink has survived vicious abuse, 6 surgeries (and counting), and the loss of his left eye. His troubles began when he was just a 3-month-old pup living in Alabama. Some heartless soul beat him so badly that his facial bones were crushed, resulting in the loss of his eye, the shifting of his teeth, and a massive accumulation of tissue and bone fragments in his nasal passages.
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Veterinarians were shocked that he survived at all, saying his injuries were millimeters from causing fatal damage to his brain. The shelter in Mobile, Alabama where Wink was taken, planned to euthanize the gravely injured pup, but a local rescue group claimed him just in time.
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Wink had healed from the majority of his injuries when Smith first spotted him on PetFinder. He was listed as “special needs” and the more she learned about him, the more she realized he would need lifelong, expensive care. But her heart and mind were made up. There was just something about Wink’s face, Smith knew he needed her.
Convincing her husband to make Wink a part of their family was not so easy. Even after stopping to visit the pup on their way from Mississippi to Alabama for vacation, Smith’s husband wouldn’t budge. They are currently a one-income family, and he feared that they could not handle all of Wink’s veterinary expenses.
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That’s when Smith decided to put her marketing degree and experience working for a nonprofit to good use. She created a website and Facebook page, and established a GoFundMe account. She sold Wink-themed T-shirts and jewelry, and held bake sales. In total, she raised more than $14,000 and was finally able to adopt him in August 2015.
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Wink underwent numerous tests and surgeries to address his breathing and dental issues over the following year. A surgeon at Texas A&M inserted a nasopharyngeal stent to open up his damaged nasal passages. It worked wonders, but was short-lived when the tube became clogged with tissue.
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Wink’s vets at A&M recommended a soft stent that emits a steroid to keep the nasal passages open and prevent blockage, so Smith once again went to work raising the $6,500 to fund the surgery. She quickly reached her goal. As of this morning, Wink was back at A&M for further testing, and will be going in for this latest procedure soon.
Smith has big plans for her sweet little survivor once he has been restored to full health. She wants to take Wink into schools “to drive home the point that it is not OK to hurt animals,” she told USA Today. “When they see Wink, they’ll get the message. Kids will love him just as much as I do. And that’s saying something.”
“To me, he represents anyone who has been mistreated or hurt,” she added. “He wears the scars every day, but he’s survived the worst of it. Victims of abuse aren’t always so fortunate.”
Click here to make a donation to Wink’s ongoing care.
H/T to USA Today
Featured Image via Facebook/Wink’s Wish
