“Annie” still recovering from severe burns, adopted by her foster family

You may remember the story of Annie, a one-year-old mixed-breed dog that was found abandoned in Norwood, MA, in late August and had suffered second-degree burns to 20 percent of her body.

In the past four months, she has redefined perseverance.

In Need of Help

Annie was discovered along Route 1 in Norwood, wearing a collar and leash, but with no identification, and was not microchipped.

She was taken to the Norwood Police Department, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Law Enforcement Department was contacted. She was then transferred to ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center.

The burns covering her head, neck, shoulders, abdomen, and front limbs were extremely painful, and the ARL shelter medicine team’s first priority was to help manage her pain and provide treatment for the wounds.

Initially Annie’s situation was critical and given the severity of the burns and the pain level, she was transferred to Tufts Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties (Tufts VETS) in Walpole, MA, for several days to receive intensive 24-hour care and pain management.

Ongoing Care and Foster

Once the young dog was stabilized, she began the next phase of her recovery and over the next two months she would undergo comprehensive and sometimes painful procedures to aid in the healing process of the burns.

Over time her pain was greatly reduced, and her fur also began to grow back, however, the physical scars of the trauma she suffered will likely be noticeable for the rest of her life.

Annie was also placed into foster care to give her a quiet and comfortable environment to heal.

Finding Her Home for the Holidays

Annie’s foster home was the perfect environment for her.

Her foster family offered the support and love she needed during her recovery, and in the process became bonded with the young dog.

In the fall the family decided that Annie had found her family and her new home, and officially adopted her!

While she continues to heal from her ordeal, she is ready to begin the next chapter of her life.

She is thriving and is overjoyed to be spending the holidays with her new family and ARL could not be happier for this outcome!

How You Can Help Animals Like Annie

For all of us, and especially for animals in need, this has been a trying time. Soaring inflation has made our work much more difficult and strained our limited resources.

ARL cannot respond in times of crisis without you – and the need has never been greater.

Your generous year-end gift will ensure that animals in need can get the care they count on including, food, sanctuary, medical care, love, and emergency rescue if they are in danger.