Dog spent her whole life in a shelter — until rescue stepped in. Watch her first walk
A young dog that has only known the stress of shelter life has a renewed spirit after a rescue stepped in to help.
Meet Daphne, a black Labrador who was found in the streets and surrendered to the Seminole Humane Society in Seminole, Oklahoma, Newsweek reported. But her troubles didn’t end once she was taken in by the no-kill shelter — she not only was overlooked, but soon became ill.
“She then got sick with parvo,” Miriam Kelly from the Desiderate Rescue told Newsweek. “She survived but then developed a skin fungus that caused hair loss and she simply was not adoptable while she was being treated for that.”
McClatchy News reached out to Desiderate Rescue for comment.
Desiderate Pet Rescue is a rescue based in Oklahoma — but fosters pets in Oregon and Washington, according to its website. The rescue’s motto is to “turn discarded pets into desired pets” and offer transport to states that are not overpopulated with strays, like Oklahoma and Texas, according to its Facebook page.
It was this very rescue that stepped in and saved Daphne’s life when the Seminole Humane Society was turned over “to the city to be run by the police department,” Newsweek reported. “As a result, the facility stopped being a no-kill shelter and staff were given a matter of weeks to find placements for long-term stays like Daphne or they would face euthanasia.”
McClatchy News reached out to Seminole Humane Society for comment.
Since rescuing Daphne, Desiderate Rescue has been documenting her new life on social media — including Facebook and TikTok.
“Remember Daphne, the dog that spent her whole life at the shelter, since she was a puppy?” the rescue asked in a July 10 Facebook post. “Today she got to take her first walk ever!! She’s only known her kennel and the small play-yard at the shelter until now.”
The rescue posted a video on its YouTube page and TikTok.
“She had an exciting day with lots of new things and new friends and she was definitely a little anxious at first but she already started playing as well. She is passed out cold now,” the Facebook post continued.
Daphne has been a highlight on the rescue’s Facebook feed, which includes a photo of her just resting in the mud.
“Where else would you chillax besides in the mud?” the post asked.
For more information on Daphne and other adoptable pets, visit the Desiderata Rescue’s website.
This story was originally published July 23, 2024 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Dog spent her whole life in a shelter — until rescue stepped in. Watch her first walk."