She spent her life in an outdoor yard. So terrified of indoor enclosures was she that she broke through a window to avoid being confined.
Emaciated. Sick. She had to fight to protect what little food scraps she was given. A Great Pyrenees mix weighing in at only 58 pounds.
Her mouth partly paralyzed; who knows how many litters of puppies she had produced and what damage that had inflicted.
Used up, she was dumped. Two others were “coincidentally” found not far away; we suspect they were her offspring. Younger, they were spared from years of similar harsh treatment. The shelter staff named her Justice.
While the instinct was to surround her with love, she first had to be quarantined to ensure the safety of others. And then, the work of restoring her sense of self, safety, and trust would begin. Inside, was a surprisingly resilient and social girl.
That human beings can treat helpless animals with such callous disregard is a reminder of our capacity for evil.
That human beings can dedicate their lives and hearts to helping those abused and neglected find a path to a new and better life is a reminder of our potential for good.
We have seen both in the ways that humans treat each other these past weeks.
Justice would be to steal the freedom and dignity of her abusers as they stole hers. That is unlikely to happen. But renewal is found with the family who took her home today. With a huge yard where she can make herself at home, walks in the woods, and time at a family cabin and beach – Justice will be eased into the life of a loved family dog.
Today, the world was made right for Justice.
Gardens For Goldens 