Life has not been kind to Lacey, a pit-bull mix who seemingly bounced around shelters her whole life. But after a brutal act of violence, Bullluvable Paws and Chi Wawas Rescue near White Rock Lake is fighting to give Lacey the best shot at life.
Bullluvable first heard about Lacey when they were contacted by a boarding facility. According to rescue volunteer Missy Redding, another rescue pulled the dog out of a shelter only to leave her at the boarding facility for 14 months with no socialization, no regular exercise and very little hope of ever finding a forever home.
“We were going up to see Lacey at the boarding facility two times per week until we could figure out what our next move was,” Redding says. “She was dog aggressive and completely depressed, so we were waiting to see when our trainer had time for her.”
While waiting for the trainer, Bullluvable got Lacey into an attentive foster home in August, outside the city limits near Lake Ray Hubbard. One night, Lacey’s foster mom was preparing her crate for sleep while the dog did her business outside, when the quiet evening was punctured by the pop of gunshots.
The foster mom ran outside to see Lacey lying in the yard, bleeding heavily. She rushed the injured dog to the emergency vet who confirmed that Lacey had been shot twice. The vets had little hope she’d survive.
“She had two surgeries and will have to keep the bullets in her body forever,” Redding says. “One is near her brain, which completely destroyed her left eardrum and blinded her in her left eye and the other bullet is lodged in nerve endings at the top of her spine that has made it almost impossible to use her right front leg.”
After the surgery, vets didn’t think Lacey could bounce back, her injuries were too severe. Despite all odds, Lacey slowly began to recover. With hydrotherapy and physical rehabilitation, she learned how to navigate the world with her new disabilities.
“Yes, she will be a disabled dog only being able to use her three good legs and will probably never run again but she can swim, hop, walk, play and be lovable just like any other dog,” Redding says. “It is nothing short of a miracle.”
The rescue is seeking donations to help cover Lacey’s extensive medical bills, but hopes to have her placed into her forever home before the holidays. The shooter was never caught, and police could do little to help.
“We took that as a sign we just needed to move on, dust our boots off and just take care of Lacey,” Redding says.
Keep up with Lacey’s progress on Facebook.