Meet Maggie the wonder dog who survived after being shot 17 times

Five-year-old Maggie was rescued from horrific conditions in Lebanon.

Her eyes had been shot, her ear was cut off and she had many bullet wounds all over her body.

She was found tied to a box.

But six months ago, after an online campaign was started to get her out of the Middle East, she found a new home in Brighton with dog lover Kasey Carlin.

Kasey, 25, heard about Maggie’s story through animal welfare group the Wild At Heart Foundation and knew she wanted to take her home.

She said: “This person in Lebanon posted asking for help and a woman in London saw the post and got help.

“Wild At Heart said they would take her in, even though it’s quite hard to get pets out of Lebanon.

“My mum saw Maggie’s post and said we had to foster her.

“I got home and saw the picture and agreed.”

Maggie had surgery before leaving Lebanon, which is the first time Kasey and her mother realised the extent of her injuries.

But after having her eyes sewn up to prevent further damage, Maggie was well enough to travel to the UK to meet her new family.

Maggie's owner Kasey Carlin

“I was in tears when I met her at the airport,” Kasey said.

“I got in touch with some blind rescue dog charities and ask what to do.

“They said map out the house for her room by room. But we sectioned off the kitchen and the first night she slept in her crate.

“I took her out to go to the toilet and it was the first time she touched grass.”

Kasey has said that she often gets asked why Maggie has not been put down and some question her quality of life.

But she said once people met Maggie in the flesh and saw her run and play, their opinions changed.

She said: “I’ve never met a dog like Maggie.

“She’s just brilliant. She’s so energetic and bubbly. She walks off the lead and follows me around.

“She must have been in agony with all she’s been through, but she never hurt anyone and she’s so loving.”

Maggie’s personality and story have made her famous on social media.

She currently has nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram.

And her feed is such a hit that Kasey is giving up her job in dog day care to run Maggie’s social media full-time.

Maggie is also working towards becoming a therapy dog, using her love and smiling face to inspire others.

She currently goes to the University of Sussex campus twice a week and is walked by students. She goes into care homes and cheers up elderly people by letting them pet her.

Kasey said: “She’s got a great life and she wants so much out of it.

“She loves working as a care dog and going for walks.

“I just want people to see that she’s living life.”

It seems that Maggie’s training is already paying off, as Kasey says she has had an amazing impact on her other dog, Mishka.

She said: “When I first got Mishka she was awful around other dogs but Maggie has really brought her out of her shell.

“They didn’t get on so well at first because Mishka howls a lot and Maggie couldn’t quite understand what she was trying to say.

“But now they’re inseparable and they love to cuddle.”

Kasey hopes that Maggie’s story will serve as an inspiration for other animal lovers across the world.

You can follow Maggie on Instagram at www.instagram.com/maggiethewunderdog/

The Wild At Heart Foundation is based in London. You can find out more about its work at www.wildatheartfoundation.org/.