AN ANIMAL lover who rescued an abused dog has saved another pooch from death's door - and is urging other people to adopt disabled pets.
Kasey Carlin gave a home to Maggie, after she was shot 17 times and left blind and missing an ear, and she became an online sensation.
Kasey, from Storrington, has now adopted Millie who was found with four bullets in her head and a broken jaw after someone attempted to suffocate her.
It comes as the Wild at Heart Foundation charity urged people to consider adopting dogs like Millie who have been left disfigured after suffering horrendous abuse.
Kasey, 27, said: “Dogs just want to be happy. They’re not like us, they don’t hold resentment.
“They remember but they don’t want to be in a state of fear or anxiety so once you show them love they are pretty open to accepting it.
“I could see what Millie’s personality was like before I got her, and I could see she was going to be a friendly lovely dog, and she was.”
Maggie was rescued from horrific conditions in Lebanon and taken in by Kasey who heard about her story through the Wild At Heart Foundation.
She was nicknamed "Maggie the Wunderdog" and now has 467,000 followers on Instagram.
Kasey was then sent a video of Millie and immediately got in touch with a shelter in Moscow and asked to adopt her.
Despite her traumatic start to life, Kasey says Millie is a “very happy dog”.
She has been living with her for a year and is in training to become a therapy dog.
Kasey said: "What we think happened with Millie is that someone tried to euthanise her themselves, but the bullets weren’t high calibre enough to go into her skull.
“We then think someone tried to suffocate her, but they ended up just breaking her nose and her jawbone.
“Vets did try to save her nose, but it ended up getting infected and that’s why it was amputated.
“But from the minute rescuers found her she was wagging her tail and trying to make friends, so it makes you wonder why they were trying to euthanise her.”
Crowdfunding raised over £12,000 to bring Millie and another dog, Mitya, over to the UK and have surgery.
They have both settled into happy homes and are thriving.
Kasey, a dog behaviourist, says she would “wholeheartedly” recommend adoption for anyone considering getting a dog.
She told The Argus: “Lots of people have been buying dogs in lockdown thinking they are doing the best thing, thinking they have all the time in the world to dedicate to them but the reality is it is the most awful time.
“Dogs need to be taught how to live in our world. They’re animals and we are teaching them how to fit into their lives.
“With Maggie, I knew I was taking on a scared, abused old dog but I was prepared for that because I know that was what I was getting, but with a puppy you don’t know what you’re getting.”
**All photos credited to @MaggieTheWunderdog @MillieTheWunderdog"**
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel