This puppy’s condition was so bad, that at first glance it looked like someone had set her on fire!
When Pixie Princess escaped from her “home” and wandered into a stranger’s yard, she was barely recognizable as a pitbull pup. All her fur was gone, and her tiny little body was covered in terrible sores and scabs.
The concerned dog lover immediately called animal control, and asked them to come pick up a five-week-old stray who had been burned and was in desperate need of medical attention!
Vets quickly determined that Pixie had not in fact been burned, which was good news! But, it also still bad news in the sense that her unknown “caretakers” weren’t really taking care of her.
Pixie’s “burns” were actually the result of a severe case of demodex mange. That explained both the hair loss and scabs all over her body.
She was itching so much from the mite infestation, she was scratching herself like crazy!
LifeLine Animal Project decided to place the sweet 4-pound doggy with experienced foster mama Daphne Bragg, who was quick to lavish Pixie all the cuddles and kisses that every growing puppy needs.
“When I saw her, I was just like ‘Oh my God, you are coming with me!’ And she never left my side after that.'”
The first order of business making sure that Pixie’s mange was treated, which meant giving her lots of medicated baths.
After Daphne took Pixie home, her tub was upgraded from a boring plastic bin to a cool kitchen sink!
“Once I got her home she was so little she got her baths in my kitchen sink.”
After the scabs and wounds began to heal, Pixie strangely enough started to look even more bald than when she was first brought in. However, this was totally normal and all part of the healing process.
At just five to six weeks old, Pixie was so young that she was at an age where she needed to learn how to be the best puppers ever from a real live doggy parent.
“…she kind of needed to learn those social skills from other dogs. She bonded the most with my dog Elliot.”
Elliot had a similar, heartbreaking beginning in life. Like Pixie, he was a super tiny stray when he was first rescued.
When Daphne first took him home, her other dogs taught him how to be a part of the pack, and now he was about to do the same for Pixie.
“They were patient with him, they made him feel welcome. And now he is one of the big dogs.”
Elliot and Pixie were a perfect match and were totally inseparable! They played together, and she also learned some important canine social cues from him, which is something that no human parent can ever really teach.
“I don’t know if he remembers being in that phase, but he really kind of took on the role that the other dogs took on when he came into the house.”
In addition to all the puppy energy that Pixie was constantly burning off with her temporary dad, her outgoing personality started to shine and she had a ton of affection to give.
“Her puppy energy started coming out. They definitely had each other.”
“She was like a little peach fuzz puppy.”
With all the love and care she was receiving, Pixie made a quick recovery and the change in her was obvious. New hairs started to pop up like crazy!
After that, it was pretty much game over for this hidden ginger-haired gem. Her secret had finally come out!
“We could start to tell that she was going to be a little redhead.”
“She’s the perfect puppy.”
Daphne and Elliot cared for Pixie for about 6 weeks before it was time for her to find her forever home, and it didn’t take long before a loving family snapped the rambunctious little gingerbread cookie!
“She was definitely a really hard one to give up. But being able to watch that transformation, really makes fostering worth it.”
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