A senior dog, abandoned by her owners at the vets in serious ill health, is seeking a home to see out her final years in peace.
As related in a video posted to TikTok by the Good Dog-Dog Talk Animal Rescue in Brea, California, Sky was abandoned “when she needed love the most.”
Blind in one eye and thought to be at least 10 years old, when she arrived at the shelter, staff were quick to notice how “heartbreakingly skinny” she was, weighing in at around 30 pounds.
“Her owners, who had her since she was a puppy, brought her to the vet one day and decided they didn’t want her anymore,” a spokesperson for the Good Dog-Dog Talk Animal Rescue told Newsweek.
While it’s heartbreaking to see any dog abandoned by their owners, the shelter suspected whoever had Sky before hadn’t looked after her very well.
“With her allergies, overgrown nails, and [being] extremely skinny, it’s clear she spent her days neglected in a backyard,” they said. “Most likely used for breeding and then tossed aside, Sky deserves so much more.”
The shelter can be a difficult place even for the youngest and most energetic of dogs. Studies have found that social and spatial restriction can induce chronic stress in dogs.
As part of a study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, 15 beagles spent six weeks living in enriched spacious outdoor housing in groups followed by a period of solitary housing in small indoor kennels.
Good Dog-Dog Talk Animal Rescue
Researchers found that behavioral parameters indicated the dogs suffered chronic stress as a result of switching to the more confined settings.
The Good Dog-Dog Talk Animal Rescue said Sky experienced some understandable difficulties when she first arrived, but that quickly changed once she came to a happy realization.
“She was really shy when she first came and a bit nervous,” they said. “But that didn’t stop her from devouring her food. After we gave her a bath we sat in the yard for her and she just put her head in our lap. I think she knew she was safe now she adjusted very well.”
It’s difficult to know what the future holds for Sky, given her age and health status, but the shelter would love to see her get adopted and firmly believe the right person is out there somewhere for her.
“She would definitely be an indoor dog. A small yard is fine since she’s blind on one side and she would just basically have to have medicated baths every week,” the shelter said.
“Sky is the sweetest dog, not sure how she is with other dogs but she definitely would be a great companion and is so sweet.”
