Remembering

I remember calling my friend Joy about a week after I first spotted Shelby Angel and asking her:  "Was that dog we saw on our bike ride really as badly hurt, abused, and starved as I remember her?  Maybe I am just over-exaggerating in my mind how bad she is."  Joy promptly responded that the dog WAS that hurt, abused, and starved- my memory was not altered.  

Funny, but again I turned to my husband tonight and said, "Maybe Shelby Angel wasn't really that bad of a case of abuse."  My husband gave me a weird look and said, "It was very, very bad, Damie.  It was horrible."  

I have had a lot of requests for pictures of her when I first found her.  I really wish the camera could have captured the whole story- her inability to walk as if all of her legs were broken, every bone that could be counted, the scars and injuries all over her body from the abuse, and her feet- partially gnawed off with bugs living in them.  I think these pictures really just scratch the surface of what we saw that day.   

I know most of my friends have seen these pictures already, but I will post a few again.   

There were so many scars around her neck and chest, including an ear that was ripped so deeply she could no longer hold it up.  

Even after 2 weeks of food, you could still see every bone.    

Her two back feet, with missing toes and toenails.  

When I finally decided to make the effort to find and help Shelby Angel, Dave was not the happiest husband on the block.  "She is not coming here."  

After I got Shelby Angel to the vet, I called my husband and asked him to meet me there.  His response was, "Damie, she is NOT coming home with us."  I told him I promised not to push a dog on him, but I needed him to be there for me.  When he got to the vet, he looked at Shelby Angel and gave her a pet, then our eyes met and he understood.  From the moment he saw her, he gave his unconditional support.     

I hope you enjoy Shelby Angel's blog.  We know that she still has obstacles to face, but we are encouraged by her recovery and kind spirit.  She continues to teach us to be more supportive and helpful to one another, and we learn so much from her every day.