We had a very special dog walk through our doors here at Heritage Humane Society on Friday, January 14, 2022. She stole the hearts of the family that rescued her. The first reports of neighbors seeing her was four days before she was finally comfortable enough to go with this kind family. She was tired and hungry, but just as sweet as can be.

Upon her arrival, we noticed that her tail was in awful condition. There was a huge laceration encircling the base of her tail, and portions of her tail were discolored and bleeding. The bottom of it appeared to have been severed or maybe it fell off from the lack of circulation. She needed to see a veterinarian immediately.

Chris DeWitt, DVM at Williamsburg Veterinary Clinic took that call and said he would evaluate her as soon as she arrived. Our team of staff and volunteers gathered up towels and blankets to keep her comfortable, gave her kisses, and sent her on her way. Within two hours of arriving at Heritage Humane Society, she was being operated on and given a second chance at the life she deserves.

This sweet girl was named Zelda because, in our eyes, she is a princess warrior. After her surgery, she spent a night in an emergency vet hospital to be observed overnight. She was medicated and shown so much love and affection for the next 15 days in our new dog viewing room at the shelter while she recovered and bounced back.

The abuse Zelda went through is still under investigation, but we are so thankful to be a part of her journey to recovery and a full life. We want to call attention to our partnership with Animal Control and the work they are doing to make this a safer community for homeless pets. 

We are thrilled to share that Zelda was adopted on February 16, 2022. Below is Zelda with her new family.