Traumatized And Sickly Dog On Death Row Transforms Beautifully After She Was Adopted By This Angel Of A Woman

An inspiring story of transformation

Ansa

• Published in Animal Stories
• September 10, 2021

When Chelsea Elizabeth Cossairt saw a picture of a dog, Clementine, online she didn't have much time to think before acting. Two days later, the dog was expected to be put down.

Clementine was rescued by animal control in Southern California when they found him wandering in the streets. Animal control discovered that she has a lot of health issues and for that very reason, she may be required to be put down.

When Cossairt saw her photo, she felt a tug at her heart. Hearing her heart's voice, she submitted an application, and soon enough; she got a call from the shelter.

“The person at Ginger's Pet Rescue was floored and in tears that we were interested in her,” Cossairt shared.

“She told us that of the hundreds of applications they’d received for dogs in the previous few weeks, not one had been for Clementine.” The volunteer at the shelter told her that the health conditions of Clementine might make her life a lot more difficult.

But Cossairt has decided to help her, anyway.

The first meeting of Cossairt and Clementine made it clear to her that the poor dog has never known love her whole life.

“Clementine was absolutely terrified of people and wouldn’t look anyone in the eyes,” Cossairt told. “She shook all the time, hid behind furniture, and sat facing the wall for months.”

“She had defeated, empty eyes,” she further shared. “She never looked at our faces and she bowed her head whenever we walked over to her or near her.”

The positive aspect was that Clementine was not as shy towards her new siblings, Moose and Marple.

This gave Cossairt the hope that she may have a chance at life. “She sought comfort in being near them and traveling with them as a pack around the house or yard,” Cossairt told.

Clementine went through rigorous treatment over the next few months.

Once through with the treatment, she started recovering amazingly. The best part was that she had built up the courage to look into her parents' eyes.

Over the span of months, she has become close with her mom.

“She loves to look deeply into our eyes while we pet her, and she’s very attentive when we’re talking to her,” Cossairt shared.

“She’s still wary of new people and sometimes even gets spooked by us if we move too quickly or come up behind her, but she’s come so far.”

With proper treatment and love, she has received at her new home, Clementine has grown into this beautiful creature.

She is very playful and curious, and now she feels safe

“She lays at our feet when we work from home and loves belly rubs after finally exposing her belly to us for pets last month,” Cossairt told.

“She 'boops' everything in sight — we think it’s her way of exploring and figuring out what things are. She’s so puppy-like that sometimes we wonder if she got to be a puppy at all.

She’ll nudge your hand if you’re not petting her or if you stop and she’s not done yet.”

The personality that Clementine has developed is the total opposite of what she had when she was adopted.

She has become completely comfortable with her new family and has adapted well to her surroundings. Her family is equally crazy about her.

They can't imagine having a life without her. “She’s so sweet and such a gentle girl," Cossairt told.

"We could tell very early on that she just wants to love and be loved in return. She’s loyal and protective of us, and she follows us around everywhere.”

Ansa