Dog Spotlight: Adi

Adi, after rescue. (Courtesy of Tong Lao).

Today we wanted to highlight one of our special rescue dogs, an older poodle named Adi, who some readers may remember from some of our social media posts.

Adi was rescued from an owner who regularly beat and tortured her.

Hearing Adi’s constant crying, a neighbor had begged the owner to let her take Adi. When he refused, the neighbor ended up stealing her and bringing her to our shelter.

Adi was in horrible shape; she was so weak she could barely walk.

She was blind, limping, had holes in the top of her head and was suffering from an ear infection and skin condition.

She also had severe trust issues and mental trauma from the continuous abuse and torture she’d gone through. 

Being saved from her cruel owners was not the end of her suffering, unfortunately. When she was first rescued, her condition actually got worse.

The first shelter she ended up in was incredibly overcrowded and underfunded, and the overcapacity of dogs meant that Adi barely got any of the attention and special care she so desperately needed.

When Adi’s original rescuer visited her and saw the state the poor girl was in, she knew she couldn’t leave her there. She knew that Adi wasn’t going to make it unless she found a shelter that could take care of her. 

That was when she found our shelter. 

Adi needed a large amount of focalised special care in order to heal, and we had just the solution for her. 

One of the long-term foster moms who regularly helps us out is the incredible Tong Lao, who has taken in many of our dogs needing special care and attention (on top of looking after her own dogs!)

Tong Lao and Adi. (Courtesy of Tong Lao).

Tong Lao took care of Adi for over a year, slowly nursing her back to health and providing her with the love and care she desperately needed.

Adi got better. She was still blind, and had remnants of the holes in the top of her head, but she was healthy, and functioning again. And slowly, she started to love and trust again too.

Adi in her bed. (Courtesy of Tong Lao).

Recently, Adi was diagnosed with diabetes, a health condition which Tong Lao also suffers from, and a commonality which has deepened the bond between these two already close companions. 

Despite this, Adi has been doing well and living the good life she deserves.

Tong Lao also recently set up a pool inside the house. And despite being blind and a complete beginner, Adi loved the water and turned out to be a wonderful swimmer.

Adi’s first swim. (Courtesy of Tong Lao).

Aside from swimming, Adi loves to cuddle with Tong Lao and play with her other dog friends.

Adi’s story is one of true resilience. She’s a fighter, a beautiful reminder that things can and do get better, and that love is often an essential part of that process.