Unable to care for it anymore, someone dropped a disabled dog off in front of the Florida animal shelter. Accompanying the pup and its crate was a handwritten note pleading for help for the wounded animal.
Genie, the dog's name, was dropped at the doorstep of the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. And whoever dropped Genie off thinks that the pooch needs surgery.
"Please help my Genie. Genie (her name) is paralyzed from I believe her hips to her hind legs," the note read. "I tried to manage her pain with medication from her vet but they only ease her pain and she needs surgery. I cannot afford so I ask that the Animal Health Center heal her and find her a loving forever home. Thank you."
A champion of the broken and the abandoned, the Tampa Bay Humane Society took up the challenge of improving Genie's quality of life where its previous owner simply was unable to do so.
"We will care for Genie," the shelter wrote on its Facebook page. "We will do our best to heal her body and mend her grieving heart. We will give her a second chance and find her a loving home. Will you help us?"
Shelter officials think Genie might have been struck by a car, going by the damage to her hind legs and the bladder problems she has.
It appears that Genie's former owner dropped her off just in time, as the Humane Society was gearing up to participate in Give Day Tampa Bay on May 3. And the Bay area residents gave, donating $20,849 to the Humane Society during the 24-hour-long charity drive.
The money was already earmarked for pets needing another chance, or a first one, including dogs like Genie, who could use a set of wheels.
Genie still doesn't have a forever home, but she is doing a lot better now, the Humane Society says. The dog is feeling more secure and relaxed and is being "very brave in the face of her circumstance."
