A Keeshond named Kacey is a rescue dog who was crowned as the World’s Cutest Rescue Dog Of 2019. But behind those adorable eyes, and that fluffy smoky gray coat with a wagging tail was a dark past of abuse and neglect. Out of the 7,000 pooches to compete for the title, Kacey’s tale won the hearts of the people. She is currently the Queen of rescue dogs, and the crown and title is something that she truly deserved.
Kacey was rescued from a horrible puppy mill located in New York. It was a place where the breeding for money takes place, where they mate and get pregnant, where they give birth to their pups only to have most of them bought and shipped to various locations. The living conditions were not suitable, they all are cramped up inside cages, and not all of them were fed or hydrated.
The place was a sort of hell on its own. The dogs were stressed, traumatized, and were at risk of acquiring the disease. There were too many of them in the mill — there were over a hundred Keeshonds, and their numbers would only increase over time.
The puppy mill was discovered by an online network of rescuers and pet owners who agreed with the mill owners that they would hand over a few dogs and puppies at a time, with public help. One of the members was Sheila Cosgrove, and she was also the one to provide Kacey a foster home. She saw how much Kacey’s time in the puppy mill had hit her with such an impact.
Kacey was traumatized; she would always keep herself in a corner and hated being touched. The slightest approach terrified her. She was so scared and anxious, she trusted no one and would fall asleep in a sitting position. Too frightened that she couldn’t afford to slumber too deep, and even the slightest noise was enough to wake her up.
Since Kacey came from a dreadful place, it was revealed that she had been abused, neglected, starved, and was used as a broodmare several times. She was left outside regardless of the weather cramped inside a tiny and rusty cage. She had plenty of bald parts that were caused by stress and being unhealthy.
The concept of love and being taken care of was something so alien to her; all she ever knew was that humans are cruel and that their mere presence simply means impending danger. It became Cosgroves’ goal to introduce her to the idea of being loved and familiarizing her with the concept of family.
Given enough time, Kacey began to come out of the darkness. She slowly started to trust them and learned to love playing with humans. Whenever there’s a visitor, she would approach them and would ask for cuddles and pets, sometimes even treats! Sheila and her family were so happy at her progress, to see how much she had changed and recovered from her trauma.
They finally decided to adopt her; they had developed such a deep connection that was rooted by the trust. They decided to officially adopt Kacey and be her forever family in her forever home. Sheila also wanted this to serve as an inspiration and spread the idea of adopting dogs rescued from horrible conditions and give them the chances that they deserve.
Source: TODAY via YouTube
