Those who met Cala, the guard dog, didn’t feel fear. Rather, they felt sadness, pity, and frustration.
Cala looked after a car dealership in San José, Costa Rica. Her owner rarely fed her, and when she became ill, she was denied a visit to the vet.
Over time, Cala became so weak that she could no longer stand. Instead, she sat on an old tire and watched what was happening around her, while a short chain attached to her neck prevented her from bending down and dug deeper into her skin.
Cala’s health deteriorated rapidly, and she had great difficulty holding her head up. She had difficulty breathing and suffered from various health problems.
If no one had come to help the poor dog, her fate would likely have been sealed.
Fortunately, a neighbor noticed Cala’s poor condition. She contacted the police, who requested help from the local Territorio de Zaguates animal shelter.
The organization agreed immediately, but the road to rescue was far from easy.
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Stripped of Her Dignity
The image the caregivers encountered upon first seeing Cala will be forever remembered by Lya Battle, founder of the Territorio de Zaguates animal shelter.
She told The Dodo: “I felt desperate sadness and frustration. The first image I saw was of a pathetic creature, stripped of her dignity and ready to give up: a dog with a shattered soul, waiting for the end while living in an endless nightmare.”
With the help of the police and the animal shelter, Cala was eventually freed from her cruel owner and taken to a veterinarian, where she received loving care and treatment for her injuries, including deep cuts caused by the chain around her neck.
After a visit to the veterinarian, Cala was taken to Territorio de Zaguates, where she was given time to recover physically and mentally.
It took Cala a while to recover: the wounds were difficult to heal, and the emotional pain she experienced left a deep scar on her heart.
At first, shelter volunteers were convinced that Cala hated other dogs. They feared that sharing her with other animals would be impossible.
One theory was that Cala had never been around other dogs. Some volunteers even suspected that she might have been trained to attack and kill other animals.
Over time, however, Cala reluctantly began to trust other dogs.
The rest of the article is below the photo.
An Incredible Transformation
Cala was no longer sick, weak, depressed, or shy; she became a strong and confident person. “With each passing day, her personality emerged more. She was no longer afraid of people, but trusted them, even stalking them to get their attention,” explained Lya Battle.
But although Cala had made great progress, she still didn’t feel completely safe. In June of this year, someone broke into an animal shelter and left poisoned sausages. In total, 16 dogs died. Cala ate the sausage, but survived, likely because it was so small compared to the amount she had eaten.
The poisoning left her traumatized, and she struggled with neurological problems for a time. But Cala overcame that too.
She had survived years of neglect, torture, hunger, and disease. Her life was hanging by a thread when she was rescued, but somehow she found the strength and the will to return.
While many dogs don’t get a second chance, Cala’s recovery has inspired thousands of people. Cala now lives with a loving foster family who provides her with all the care and attention she needs.
