At Logan’s Legacy dog rescue, founder Suzette Hall and her team are used to plans changing within seconds.
That’s what happened recently, when one of Hall’s rescue partners, Mary, responded to a call about a missing pup and came across someone she wasn’t even looking for.
“She was on a search for a different dog when she saw this poor baby — so matted and shaggy, just covered in fleas and ticks — running down the street,” Hall told The Dodo. “So, she started following her.”
The tiny dog bolted down an alley with the devoted rescuer following in her footsteps. When she finally caught up with the pup, Mary was shocked by who she found.
“She ran down the alley and straight to this man,” Hall said. “He said, ‘We don’t want her, we just put food out for her. Do you want her?’”
Mary couldn’t accept fast enough. The dog’s hair was completely tangled and caked with dirt, so the rescuer knew — at the very least — that she was in desperate need of grooming.
And she clearly wasn’t receiving the attention and care she needed to thrive.
“How could he not want that sweet, adorable baby girl?” Hall questioned.
Moments later, Mary pulled into Camino Pet Hospital with the dog, later named Bettina, in tow.
The loving vet team gave Bettina a quick checkup before initiating her makeover.
The job was tedious and time-consuming, but Bettina’s new friends refused to give up until the very last knot was removed.
Hall’s not sure how long Bettina’s been carrying around the extra knotted weight, but she knows the dog felt instant relief when it was removed.
“She got the most amazing makeover,” Hall said. “She looks and feels like a million dollars.”
When she first entered the animal hospital, Bettina looked as though she’d been a street dog for decades. One haircut was all it took to shave the years away.
Now, Bettina looks like a puppy again — and her smile just keeps getting bigger each day.
“She’s just as sweet as she looks,” Hall said. “She’s a little doll.”
Bettina’s since gone to a foster home, but she hasn’t reached the happily-ever-after portion of her princess transformation just yet.
She’s hoping to find a forever family as soon as possible — one that will keep her youthful and vibrant from the inside out.
For now, with the weight of the world off her shoulders and a new group of friends looking out for her, life for Bettina is better than anything she could’ve ever imagined.
As Hall sees it, Bettina’s already got the best gift of all: “Now, she’s wanted.”
