Rosebud the pit bull was very skinny and nearly hairless -- and yet utterly, disarmingly charming -- when Taylor Wilkes met her, in early July.
"From the first time I said hello to her, she was very sweet and loving. She wagged her tail and gave lots of kisses. You could tell she was just happy to be alive," Wilkes says.
Advertisement
She's lucky to be alive, too.
Rosebud had been brought to a Georgia animal shelter in late June, with a starved body and terribly infected skin. She was about 5 months old at the time and weighed less than 20 pounds.
A group called Hounds in Pounds got her away from the shelter, where a dog in Rosebud's condition wouldn't stand much of a chance.
Pia Colon Wurth, vice president of Hounds in Pounds, thinks that, based on her condition, Rosebud had been badly treated before her rescue. That she deserved a shot at something better.
"The neglect that Rosebud experienced was not overnight. It was her way of life," Wurth says. "Neglect was her normal."
Advertisement
Rosebud was brought to an animal hospital, where she stayed and was treated for a couple of weeks.
Someone from the hospital brought Rosebud out to a community yard sale, to help raise awareness and money for Hounds in Pounds.
And that's where Rosebud met Wilkes. And the dog's life turned around completely.
Wilkes and her girlfriend, Amber Powell, are animal-lovers who live in Fayetteville, Georgia, where the couple already had three doted-on doggies when Rosebud came along.
"I think our favorite thing to do though is hang out with the dogs at home," Wilkes says. "It sounds lame, but it’s extremely entertaining."
Wilkes had an inkling at how well Rosebud might fit in when she and their boxer pup Lucy began romping at the yard sale, that first time they all met.
Advertisement
"They instantly became best friends," she says.
And the couple instantly offered to bring Rosebud home as a foster.
That means she was going to live with the family temporarily, while healing, and until she was ready to be adopted.
But after nearly a month, with her hair growing back, and her body filling out, and her pack growing ever more affectionate, it's looking like Rosebud's going to stick around.
The four dogs romp around like maniacs, and hang around with Wilkes and Powell on the couch. Lucy and Rosebud then tucker down for a good long nap, together.
"I would hate the thought of separating her and Lucy from one another," Wilkes says.
Meanwhile, Rosebud is getting more confident every day, without losing a drop of sweetness.
"I hate that she had to go through whatever she went through before she was rescued, in order to find us," Wilkes says.
Advertisement
To Wurth, the remarkable thing about Rosebud's story is how normal it is. Or, rather, how normal it could, and should, be.
If more people adopted, and volunteered, and fostered, and donated, and were willing to look past a bald coat to see a great dog who just needs some help, then even more Rosebuds could go from sick and at-risk to safe and regularly snuggled.
"Any dog deserves the right to be helped. It is up to people to step in and offer to help," Wurth says.
Wilkes says she's just glad that she and Powell, and Lucy and the rest of the canine gang, found Rosebud in time, and that with them she's been able to bloom.
"I don’t know if we got her before she lost hope in humanity, or if she is just that resilient," she says. "Either way, she is an inspiration."
Advertisement
Get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost,com if you know an inspiring pit bull, or have another animal story to share!
Also on HuffPost:
10 Stereotypes About Pit Bulls That Are Just. Dead. Wrong.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.