When Ellie was abandoned at a shelter, the only thing she had that was close to her was a giant teddy bear that she adored.
The 1-year-old old Blue Lacy dog was living with a family in Dallas, Texas when they decided to dump her at a local shelter.
They only had her for four months before leaving her to a shelter that could have ended up euthanizing her if they ran out of space.
“They had gone to the trouble of getting all her shots, her spay surgery and microchip … [then] they just dumped her at the closest shelter after having her for months,” NYC based dog rescuer Jennifer Jessup told The Dodo. “She basically lost everything she’s ever known. And at 1 year old, [she] found herself in a loud, scary place where they euthanize for space.”
Poor Ellie was terrified after being abandoned by her family. Not only that, but she was in a scary shelter.
All she had was her teddy bear to hold on to.
So she did, and she didn’t let go. She just stayed snuggled up with her bear which her family had left with her.
“She was so scared, and she was just clinging to it,” Jessup said. “It was the only thing she had.”
Thankfully, she didn’t stay scared and alone for long.
Jessup’s brother had been looking for a Blue Lacy dog to adopt and asked Jessup to help him find one. She started searching online and ended up finding Elliwithgh the help of TAGG Rescue, a Dallas-based rescue group.
“I had a friend in Texas that I contacted, and he said, ‘Sure, I’ll go pick her up,’” Jessup said. “So he got her out of the shelter with her teddy bear, and took her to this boarding facility, where they gave her a bath and made sure all of her paperwork was in order, and that she was fully vetted.”
Ellie spent a night at a boarding facility and then a foster home until she could be moved to Florida.
But even in her new home, Ellie was clinging to her teddy bear.
“The foster carer took a photo of her without her teddy bear, and she was curled up in a little ball, just scared to death,” Jessup said. “But when he put her back with her teddy bear, she just grabs it.”
Then she had a long trip from Texas to Florida. She was transported by TWD Transport, a company that moves rescue dogs around the country.
Thankfully, she had her teddy bear to keep her company.
“She is exhausted and my brother is going to spend the day with her trying to perk her up,” Jessup said. “She’s very timid and the trip was a difficult one, so it will take a while for her to come out of her shell.”
It’s taken her a little while to settle into her new home. And who can blame her! Ellie has been through a lot.
But she is settling in nicely.
“She is calming down slowly, and he is … giving her lots and lots of affection and quiet time,” Jessup said. “He’s in love!”
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