A dog finally getting a chance for a better life
Under such circumstances, you feel more compassion than fear, right? Cala, a dog from San Jose, Costa Rica, had a terrible time while being kept as a guard dog at a car dealership. Her owner hardly cared for her – she was fed only occasionally, and when she got sick, there was no one to take her to the vet.
The situation kept getting worse: Cala was losing strength and eventually couldn’t stand up anymore. Instead, she sat on an old car tire, while a short chain attached to her neck not only restricted her movement but had also grown into her skin. Her health deteriorated visibly; she struggled to breathe and suffered from many other ailments.
If no one had come soon to help this poor animal, Cala likely wouldn’t have had much time left. But hope came in the form of a concerned neighbor who alerted the police. They contacted the local animal shelter, Territorio de Zaguates. The organization agreed to help, even though it would be a big challenge.
The heartbreaking sight of Cala
When the shelter staff saw Cala for the first time, it was a moment that Lya Battle, the founder of Territorio de Zaguates, will never forget. She described it as a moment of desperation: “The image I saw was of a dog stripped of her dignity and close to giving up. It was clear she had been suffering for a long time.”
After taking her from the police, Cala was quickly taken to a vet where she received much-needed care. The injuries she suffered, including deep wounds on her neck caused by the chain, were treated. After the vet visit, she was brought to the shelter, where she received all the love and attention she had been missing for so long.
Healing was a long process for Cala. Her physical health improved, but the emotional scars ran deep. Many volunteers at the shelter worried that Cala would have trouble getting along with other dogs. Indeed, she seemed to have a negative attitude towards her fellow canines.
But over time, Cala began to trust other dogs, a brilliant ray of hope. Some suspected she had never had contact with other dogs and may even have been trained to be hostile towards them.
Cala’s amazing recovery you can see on the next page…
