Monday, June 4, 2012

From Hoarded to Hope - Maggie



A dog's journey from hoarding to a permanent home

by: Max Winitz 

It's been about a month now since 263 dogs were rescued from a home in Venice. Animal Services officials say it's one of the worst hoarding cases Sarasota County has ever seen. Fortunately, every dog was sent to various rescue groups. Maggie is one of those dogs.

The 2-year-old Havanese mix was one of 47 dogs taken to Honor Animal Rescue in Lakewood Ranch.  When she arrived, she looked more like a mop than a dog.  "Maggie was one of the dogs in severely bad condition when she came in. Her hair was so long and so overgrown that she had dreadlocks containing feces and garbage," said Karissa Mayer, with Honor Animal Rescue.

Like every other dog, Maggie didn't know how to walk on a leash, or eat out of a bowl. She didn't even know what treats were.

After an extensive grooming, Maggie was ready to go home with a foster parent.  A face you are used to seeing on ABC 7 came to the rescue.  Morning anchor Hayley Wielgus says she felt terrible for every dog involved in the hoarding.  "It's amazing to think that these dogs could have lived the rest of their lives in a crate and never experienced what real life is like outside those crates," Wielgus said..." More



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