Some of you may have recently heard of an incredibly disturbing, emotional and painful situation involving a dog named Lady in Texarkana, Texas. Lady was deeply abused – brutalized – and it was filmed by the abuser and shared on Facebook. The footage is too graphic for us to share, but Lady has been through more than any animal ever should, which is why this may be the first case of its kind to be prosecuted under the new felony abuse law.
Austin Pets Alive! was contacted because of the immense help this sweet girl will need, and in Texas we are one of the only organizations that work extensively with pets who have extreme medical and behavior issues. The judge also wanted her to go to an organization that does a considerable amount of work with pit bull-type dogs and gives them every chance they deserve. Our medical triage center, dog behavior program and our expertise in working with the dogs that have no other options, who are often pit bull-type dogs, is why APA! was selected to receive Lady.
While nothing can entirely make up for Lady’s experience, we would like to share that she is finally getting the love and attention that she deserves: Lady, with a new name to protect her identity from those seeking to get her back to her original owners who abused her, has officially been transferred into APA!’s care and will be living with an experienced, compassionate foster family.
Lady’s case is extreme and horrific, and she deserves every opportunity to live a full life. This is what APA! does every day. We save the ones that have no other options and we make sure we have the programs to do it over and over again. In cases like Lady’s, our goal is to not allow the unspeakable abuse she has experienced at the hands of a human define who she is for the rest of her life. We know dogs are amazingly resilient and forgiving beings, but sadly, we also know without question that Lady experienced the worst side of humanity before coming to us.
“First and foremost, our expert behavior and medical teams will ensure that Lady now experiences the care, compassion, and love that all dogs should receive from humans,” said Mike Kaviani, Director of Lifesaving Operations at Austin Pets Alive!. “Lady will now live in the warmth and comfort of one of our experienced foster homes, and the foster family will work closely with our teams as we get to know Lady and assess all of her behavioral and medical needs. Her care will likely require months of support.”
While her initial injuries have been treated, she is currently receiving ongoing medical support for a broken leg and will be working closely with APA!’s behavior team for trauma support.
“Oftentimes, dogs like Lady can amaze us and we find out that despite the terrors they have experienced, simply getting the opportunity to now live in a stable and loving home is the help that they truly need. If, as we patiently get to know Lady, we discover any fear or trust issues as a result of the abuse she has experienced, our nationally-leading behavior team will work one-on-one with Lady and her foster family to overcome these fears, and to learn to trust humans again so she can live a full life of joy and comfort.”
Lady’s outcome might have been different had APA! not been able to answer the call with a resounding “Yes, we will absolutely help her.” Austin Pets Alive! needs to exist for pets like Lady. While Lady is already physically on the mend from a broken leg and other minor injuries, our behavior team will continue to monitor and work with her for emotional trauma. To help support Lady’s recovery and continue saving lives like hers, donate using the form below.
Thank you for helping save the animals who need us more than ever. Because of you, we can give the most vulnerable pets the chance to live the full, happy, love-filled life they truly deserve.
We will continue to share updates on Lady’s progress, so please check back on this post and stay tuned on social media for updates as Lady settles into her new life!
