Pinkie Pie the Pocket Pitty / A Survivor Story

By April Courtney

By April CourtneyPinky and her sister Louise were part of a horrific hoarding animal-cruelty case in North Carolina. I’d never fostered siblings before, but I saw their sad eyes in a photo and it crushed me. They were so heartbroken—needing love and comfort.

When I picked Pinky and her sister up from Animal Control, I could smell them before I saw them. Imagine rotting skin, open wounds, and infection—super gross; unbelievably sad. These poor girls had been through terrible cruelty, and had fantastic mange to prove it.

Pinky and her sister had to fight for their lives

Pinky and her sister had to fight for their lives the first few nights, as they were so infected with mange, worms, and very high fevers. Their skin was so infected that it was constantly opening with new tears. They wore baby onesies so that their skin could heal.

We barely slept the first few weeks, as any sound in the night would make them bark and hide. I basically segregated myself from the rest of our dogs and family to rehabilitate these girls in the early few weeks.

They loved being in the comfort of a home and sleeping next to me at night. They loved to cuddle. After everything they had been through, I still can’t believe how instantly loving they were.

Thankfully, the girls started to recover pretty quickly, gaining weight and getting some fur patches back. Then one day they started to run and do zoomies in the yard! I knew they were starting to feel better, and in my heart I knew they would make it.

After fostering the girls for three months, Louise was adopted, but I couldn’t let my little Pinky Pie go. She was the more traumatized out of the two, and I knew she would take more time to recover. Pinky is still extremely fearful of humans, so we’re working with a great behaviorist to help her overcome her fears. She’s still pretty feral on a leash and it’s comical if you see her ‘walking me’.

Pinky Pie has taught us a lot on love and patience, and we absolutely love having her as part of our family. •