When a dog dragging her back legs down the road caught the attention of workers at an elephant research camp, her whole life changed. Here’s the inspirational short story of Poppy the Puppy!
Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t wait for someone else to do what you can do yourself”? Well, apparently, Poppy the Puppy had.
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Workers at an elephant sanctuary spotted the partially paralyzed dog dragging her back legs down the road, right up to a group of rescuers!
This was no small feat, considering Poppy lived in Botswana, South Africa, with plenty of indigenous predators roaming about.
“The camp is in a remote region, filled with elephants, but also lions, hyenas and other predators,” Susanne Vogel, one of her rescuers, said. “Poppy had somehow made it to us, emaciated and soaking wet from the rain.”
WATCH: Poppy Crawls Into Animal Sanctuary
We’ll never know the exact cause of Poppy’s injuries. Nor just how far she traveled before reaching the animal sanctuary. But there’s no question that this dog dragging her back legs to find her own rescue is an inspiration!
Dog Dragging Back Legs Gets Rescued
Susanne Vogel was one of the people working at the elephant research camp when Poppy appeared.
“She came crawling – literally crawling, because her back legs were completely immobilized – into our research camp,” she said. “She was unable to walk, but full of love and seeking help.”
Susanne and her coworkers jumped into action. They transported the dog dragging her back legs 8 hours to the closest veterinary office.
Another worker, Amanda Stronza, started raising funds to help treat the puppy they’d all started calling Poppy.
“We don’t know how she was injured, but it’s amazing she survived and made her way to us,” Amanda said. “She is bursting with the sweetest spirit.”
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X-rays revealed the reason the poor dog was dragging her back legs. Poppy’s spine was completely severed. The vet felt surgery wouldn’t really help and would only put the pup through more suffering. Instead, the doctor decided "continued physiotherapy will help Poppy improve more and regain strength and maybe even some ability to stand on her own."
“Given what I understand now about the severity of her injury, I am only more in awe of Poppy’s incredible tenacity and spirit,” Amanda wrote. “What a brave little pup. We didn’t find her in that remote part of Botswana — she found us. And I truly believe she knew what she was doing.”
Happy Ending For Poppy The Puppy
In addition to helping Poppy recover, this group of Good Samaritans also worked to find a loving home for the dog discovered dragging her back legs through the South African wilderness.
That perfect home was all the way in the United States! A close friend of Amanda’s, Mary Beth Hastings, was more than happy to adopt Poppy into their family in the U.S.
So, Poppy got her own special wheelchair, a cushy home in the States, humans to love and dote on her, and even her own Facebook page — Poppy the Puppy who Stole our Hearts!
Poppy continues to do amazing. She’s even used her popularity to help run fundraisers to help other animals in need.
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And the updates on Poppy’s social media page show how this dog went from dragging her back legs through the wilderness to living her best life! What a beautiful story.
h/t: The Animal Club
Featured Image: Poppy the Puppy who Stole our Hearts