Northern Lights Animal Rescue 501(c)(3) 

Sophie:

Sophie (Chinese name: Ha Mei) is two and a half years old and weighs forty-one pounds. She is a stunning husky and is spayed and vaccinated.

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When Sophie was first brought under our care on July 29, 2019, she had contracted pneumonia which induced painful coughs and caused mucus to drip from the sides of her mouth. She was practically a skeleton, weighing only thirty-one pounds. She was too weak to stand and eat, spending every day lying in quiet agony inside her crate. We gave her IV fluids as soon as the vet permitted it but she continued to have immense difficulty with digestion. The vet recommended we try nutritional paste. Volunteers located in Beijing delivered big bags of quality dog food and ten cans of nutritional paste to the animal hospital we were at because it cost much cheaper this way.

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After receiving IV fluids for a week, Sophie's health finally began to noticeably improve. She eventually regained her appetite and ability to stand up. The only thing that remained constant was her grumpiness. We theorized that her eternal bad mood was the product of being cooped up in such a constrictive area all the time. We wanted her to experience the pleasure of leisurely strolls in gorgeous summer weather. It took numerous attempts to leash Sophie because she interpreted our actions as threats and tried to bite us. Eventually we were successful and the second the sunlight hit our skin, Sophie became an entirely different person. She was jubilant and excited, running faster and faster, yanking the poor leash holder closely behind. The following day, when we visited Sophie, she was actually excited to see us. As soon as we unlatched her crate door, she charged straight towards us and patiently waited for her walk. This was a tremendous development. 

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Sophie has continued to become more comfortable with us, showing how loving and friendly she can be when comfortable. We figured that her earlier malice was simply a survival tactic she'd learned during her time on the streets.

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