Rescue Layla: From A Life of Abuse to a Loving Home

Animal lovers of Western New York- I am writing this to make a direct plea for each and every one of your help in a truly dire emergency situation.

On Wednesday, a photo of a very sad and sacred looking pittie locked in a crate filled with inches of filth made its rounds on Facebook. There was a desperate plea made by the amazing couple who discovered the dog in this condition for someone to come help get her out of the vacant apartment she was abandoned inside of, as she was very scared of virtually all humans and had clearly been abused. It seemed like every dog lover within 50 miles had seen the post, but no one was able to step up and help out because there was no where for the dog to go.

I got another message later that evening, this time, a group chat. It was a group effort arranged to gather a group of volunteers to get over there and get this poor baby out of the miserable nightmare of a situation she had been living in for who knows how long. Three were able to get there quickly. Enter Rachel, who wasted no time showing up and assessing the situation. The baby's name was Layla, she was now out of her crate, and was very afraid of all human beings. She wouldn't let anyone approach her, except for Shane, one of the people who first discovered her in this condition and tirelessly spent his entire day trying to earn her trust. Rachel, Shane and Tasha and others spent hours trying to figure out what the best plan of action was, because it was clear this dog was a sweet and loving baby deep down, hidden beneath an abused, battered, and scared exterior. But she wouldn't budge. I arrived later, in the middle of the night, and with their help managed to get a slip lead over her head and secure her. But the battle wasn't won- she still was barking and snapping out of fear, a typical response from a dog who's known nothing but a life of abuse. Shane decided to very bravely take a chance with Layla, and managed to get her to walk outside on the slip lead. The moment she touched grass, for what may very well be the first time in her entire life, she became a very different dog. She was so happy to breathe fresh air and feel the grass, be able to potty somewhere that she didn't have to stand directly in. We managed to get her into a crate in Rachel's vehicle and transport her to Rachel's house. After many days and nights of very dedicated work by our ragtag team of heroes, Layla is so much friendlier and is able to be handled by Rachel, her husband, and Shane without issue. They have worked tirelessly to socialize and comfort Layla. She's truly like an entirely new dog, and she's slowly learning that there are humans out there she can trust.

Rachel has made the decision that she is dedicated to ensuring Layla gets every single bit of help she needs- starting with a vet appointment to see what's going on with a few issues we've noticed with her, and preparing for a spay (when shes out of her heat cycle).

If this story has touched your heart as deeply as it has mine, please consider making a monetary donation to Layla and her recovery. Rachel, supported by those of us originally gathered to try and save Layla, will be coming out of pocket to handle these expenses. She's already been enough of a hero, let's come together and make sure that Layla and her foster family don't have to worry about a dime.

Let's save Layla!