Delilah: One Day, Her Life Changed Fur'ever
The moment our rescuer first saw Delilah, what stood out most was how bad her skin was, raw and untreated. But her tail told a different story. Even in that state, she was clearly one of the sweetest little dogs around.
A Dog Who'd Known Love Before
Delilah was approachable in a way that suggested she’d had human love and touch at some point in her life. On that first encounter, our rescuer didn’t have any rescue supplies on hand, and didn’t want to risk touching her since she seemed to be in pain. So she went home to grab what she needed. By the time she got back, Delilah was gone.
Days of Searching
What followed was days of searching the market for her. Eventually, our rescuer crossed paths with a local market worker who knew exactly where Delilah slept at night. Together, they arranged for him to try catching her with a cage. That night, he sent word: they had her.
The next morning, our rescuer went back to collect her. Delilah looked heartbroken in that moment, but she was loaded safely into the car, and the market worker who’d helped find her was visibly relieved to see her finally rescued.
Healing, Day by Day
From there, things turned around quickly. Delilah received medication and consistent care, with our rescuer visiting as often as she could. Her skin improved noticeably, day by day, until after several weeks of treatment, she was ready to move into foster care.
Watch Delilah’s feature video, as seen on The Dodo:
Finally Getting to Be a Puppy
The moment Delilah arrived at her foster home, she got out of the car already wagging her tail. Within days, maybe a week, she was completely out of her shell, following her foster carer everywhere, even to the bathroom.
The best guess is that Delilah simply never had the chance to properly be a puppy while she was surviving on the street. Once she felt safe, that puppy personality came out in full: a beach lover who lives for zoomies, and quite possibly the worst guard dog imaginable, since all she wants is to play with everyone and every dog she meets.
A Life Turned Around
Her foster carer put it simply: after everything Delilah went through on the street, she’s still a happy-go-lucky dog through and through. Every sign pointed toward them being right for each other, and it turned out to be true.
Delilah Is One of Hundreds
Every day, dogs like Delilah are surviving on scraps in markets and streets across Bali, invisible to most people who pass by. Mission Paws’ible exists to make sure fewer of them go unnoticed.
Read more rescue stories like Delilah’s.
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