Even after all she’s been through, she just wants to be loved đź’•
When staffers at the RSPCA first got a call to rescue a tiny dog who had been found in a bar, they assumed it would be similar to the countless other dog rescue calls they respond to on a daily basis. As soon as inspector Lauren Bailey saw little Emmie, though, she knew she was a little different, and would need to find a special family to take her on.
Emmie is unable to straighten her front legs and her spine is twisted, which makes walking (especially for long distances) a bit of a struggle. The 5-month-old Chihuahua-Yorkie mix likely developed her deformities as a result of bad breeding. Emmie may be a victim of a trend among breeders where they breed very small dogs and market them as “teacup dogs.” These breeders ignore the fact that trying to breed dogs to be that small can often lead to major long-term issues such as the ones Emmie suffers from.
“Deformities can also be the result of bad nutrition and a poor start in life, with the mum and pups not getting what they needed during the most important first weeks and months of the pup’s life, leading to poor development,” Lisa Hens, a dog welfare expert with the RSPCA, said in a press release.
Staffers at the RSPCA were worried that it would be difficult to find poor Emmie a home because of her special needs — until one of the animal collection officers found out about her, and immediately knew she had to help her.
Kate Wright had recently lost one of her dogs, and both she and her remaining dog Sapphire were struggling to cope with the loss. They needed something, or someone, to focus their love and energy on, and when Wright heard about Emmie, she knew she was the perfect little pup to welcome into her home.
Wright and her family began fostering Emmie and set about trying to help her overcome her challenges brought on by her disability. Despite her issues and her rough start to life, Emmie is the sweetest, most cheerful little dog, and immediately brought so much joy into the lives of her new foster family.
“I cannot believe how happy and loving this little girl is when she has been so badly treated and let down by humans,” Wright said in a press release. “She was so skinny and really weak when she arrived here. But she’s a little fighter and has a smashing little character. She’s really made herself at home and loves Saff and my other new foster, Ruby.”
While Emmie does struggle with walking because of her twisted legs, she still loves going out for long walks with her family. Since she can’t always keep up for the whole way, her parents decided to buy her a special sling, so they can carry her when she gets too tired to continue on her own.
“That way she can still enjoy the fresh air and be with the whole family — we’d hate to think she was getting left out,” Wright said.
Not only were Wright and her family doing wonders for Emmie, but she was doing wonders for them as well. She helped lift their spirits so much after the loss of their other dog, and Sapphire immediately became her new best friend. Emmie was at home the moment she arrived, and it didn’t take long for the family to realize that Emmie was definitely there to stay.
After fostering her for a little while and completely falling in love, Wright and her family decided to officially adopt Emmie and give her the home she’s always deserved.
“She’ll never go hungry again and will also have a cozy sofa to curl up on in the evenings,” Wright said. “She probably won’t live into old age but she will now have a very happy, healthy life with us for as long as possible.”
