A boxer-pit bull mix dog lay on the ground in a public park in Bloomington, Indiana, starving, injured, and has been abandoned. Seeing the poor pup was heart-breaking for onlookers, and passersby immediately called the local sheriff’s department for help.
… but for Officer Jeff Ripley, it was love at first sight!
Rosie Ahlberg, Jeff’s fiancée, was driving home with the dog, whom they named Daisy, on the back seat of her car, at Jeff’s request. The animal shelter was closed that day and the poor pup had nowhere else to go so they decided to house her for the night.
Daisy was brought to the shelter as soon as possible by Ahlberg, a regular volunteer at the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control shelter. After cleaning up some open wounds and soothing some burns, they diagnosed her with a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, a luxating patella, and, likely, years of emotional abuse. The shelter tracked down her former owner, who turned out to be the fourth one who took Daisy in.
The owner said Daisy had been hit by a car in April, and they now wanted nothing to do to her.
For Ahlberg and Ripley, this was the perfect opportunity to show Daisy that she was loved.
“Jeff has a big heart for animals,” Ahlberg explained. The couple already owned a rescue dog and two cats, but they decided to adopt another one, Daisy.
But after seeing how well she got along with the other animals in their home, the couple couldn’t resist adopting her. “We really wanted to give this dog a chance to know love and what a good home is,” Ahlberg said.
Daisy immediately adjusted to her new home and felt comfortable. Within just a few weeks after her adoption, she is already having fun in the environment, she doesn’t quiver when hearing loud or sudden noises and gets along very well with the other animals in the house.
“There’s less space in the bed, but she’s such a kind dog and deserves it,” Ahlberg said.
“Whenever I leave for school in the morning, I look up from my driveway and see Daisy’s head pressed against the bedroom window,” Ahlberg added. In just a few weeks that she adjusted to her new home, Daisy’s affection for her family has gradually become evident.
Things are certainly looking up for Daisy and she is very happy in her new home, though she is still in dire need of surgery to repair her injuries.
