At high-euthanasia shelters, few dogs leave alive, especially when they arrive sick or elderly. Overcrowding often means they go unnoticed, denied the care or second chance they deserve.
Penny, an older dog from Los Angeles, California, was one of those forgotten souls.
After years of neglect, she was abandoned at the shelter, unable to move. Her condition landed her on the euthanasia list, and her story might have ended there if not for one last act of kindness.
Penny’s Difficult Past
All Penny wanted was affection, but she had never known what it meant to be loved.
When she arrived at the shelter, staff realized she couldn’t walk or even shift her body. Many feared a neurological disorder had left her paralyzed.
Her future looked grim until the Beagle Freedom Project’s Save Our Seniors program stepped in.
The California rescue team wanted to give Penny a chance to experience comfort in her final years. They brought her into their care, surrounded her with kindness, and rushed her to the vet for a full evaluation.
The results were both shocking and heartbreaking.
The veterinarians discovered that Penny didn’t have a neurological issue at all. Instead, years of neglect had led to severe dermatitis, making every movement agonizingly painful.
“Vets feared she was suffering with a neurological issue, leaving her mostly immobile…. But, the simple and heartbreaking truth was that years of neglect allowed a treatable case of dermatitis to become so severe that Penny was unable to move without experiencing horrific pain,” the rescue wrote in their post.
BEFORE ➡️ AFTER Remember Penny? 🐶💛 When BFP rescued this sweet, senior girl from an overcrowded Los Angeles shelter, vets feared she was suffering with a neurological issue, leaving her mostly immobile…. But, the simple and heartbreaking truth was that years of neglect allowed a treatable case of dermatitis to become so severe that Penny was unable to move without experiencing horrific pain. 💔 Thanks to BFP’s Save Our Seniors program, Penny was able to enter a loving foster home & receive the urgent care that she needed to make a complete— and lifesaving— recovery. Penny’s foster explained, “I’ve fostered dozens of dogs, but Penny’s story will always stand out to me. I can’t fathom how anyone could have ignored the suffering of such a tiny, loving soul for so long, to only finally take action by abandoning them at an open-intake shelter where the risk of euthanasia is so high… Even after being failed by humans before, Penny still greeted every member of my household (both human and animal alike) with kisses, cuddles, and trust. It was such a special journey to watch Penny heal!” As animal municipal animal shelters face budget cuts & overcrowded facilities, thousands of animals are more at-risk than ever before. BFP is committed to helping senior, medical-needs animals, but we need your help! By supporting BFP’s Save Our Seniors program, you can directly aid BFP’s efforts to save the lives of deserving animals who are so often overlooked. We thank you for your compassion for animals in need ❤️ Visit bfp.org/save-our-seniors to learn more. #SaveOurSeniors #BeagleFreedomProject #SeniorDogLove #AdoptDontShop #RescueDog #sheltercrisis #losangelesanimalservices #fosteringsaveslives #dogrescue #animalrescue #adoptionsuccess
All that time, Penny had the ability to walk, but the pain was simply too much.
A Second Chance At Life
Under the care of the Beagle Freedom Project, Penny’s recovery began.
She received medicated baths, daily treatment for her skin, and medication to manage her pain. Slowly, her strength returned, and she began walking again.
Penny’s foster parent soon saw her true personality emerge. Despite everything she had endured, she was gentle, loving, and eager to connect.
“Even after being failed by humans before, Penny still greeted every member of my household (both human and animal alike) with kisses, cuddles, and trust. It was such a special journey to watch Penny heal!” her foster told the BFP team.
After a few weeks, Penny’s journey came full circle. She was officially adopted into a loving forever home.
Now renamed Eve, she spends her days resting peacefully, surrounded by people who adore her.
Once a forgotten senior on the brink of death, Eve now enjoys the comfort, care, and love she always deserved.
