When Barbara Zuluaga first saw the photo of a tiny, patchy-skinned puppy, she couldn’t even tell what kind of dog she was looking at.
“I thought she might be a Chihuahua or some other small breed,” Zuluaga, a board member of A Chance to Bloom Dog Rescue in Houston, Texas, told The Dodo. “She was just covered in mange, and it was very hard to tell.”
The puppy — later identified as a Staffordshire terrier mix — was only 8 months old but weighed just 12 pounds, about half the size she should have been.
She’d been found chained to a tree in Houston, brought into the BARC Animal Shelter, and was suffering from severe mange, raw sores, and painfully rubbed paw pads.
“For a dog to get into that condition, they have to be neglected for a long time,” Zuluaga said. “It was obvious she had suffered.”
Terrified of people, the little pup — then named Ziva — shook whenever anyone held her and couldn’t make eye contact.
Zuluaga pulled her from the shelter and got her immediate veterinary care. That’s when Stephanie Williams, a vet tech at the clinic, met Ziva — and instantly knew she couldn’t let her go.
“It broke my heart to think about her leaving,” Williams said. “I wanted to be part of her recovery, so I volunteered to foster her.”
For the next two months, Williams gave Ziva everything she had been missing: safety, comfort, and a chance to just be a dog. Slowly, the once-broken puppy began to heal.
“She learned how to eat from a bowl, drink from a water dish, sleep in a bed, and jump on the couch,” Williams said proudly. “She did really well overcoming the challenges that had been set before her.”
As Ziva’s fur grew back and her personality blossomed, adopters lined up — but Zuluaga knew she needed someone with the patience and experience to guide her through her lingering fears.
That perfect match came when Cassie Rogers reached out. Rogers, who had rehabilitated dogs before, immediately connected with Ziva’s story.
Over the weekend, Ziva went to her forever home in Fort Worth, Texas — and with her fresh start came a new name: Roxy.
“Roxy is doing fabulously,” Rogers told The Dodo. “She’s glued to my side — I’ve become her mom. She plays with toys, loves treat time, cuddles with us on the couch, and sleeps in the bed. She even kisses me now. I’m in love with her.”
Roxy may have endured a heartbreaking beginning, but thanks to the dedication of her rescuers and adopters, she’s finally getting the joyful life every dog deserves.
And while Roxy’s story ended in love, many other dogs in Houston are still waiting for their chance. You can help A Chance to Bloom Dog Rescue save more dogs like her by making a donation here.
