UPDATE: When we first posted about Fiona back in March (see below), we knew she was a special dog. But we could not have foreseen that she’d be named “Dog of the Year” by the ASPCA, as she was recently. Here’s the blurb from the organization’s press release:
Abandoned in a trash heap behind an auto body shop in South Los Angeles, Calif., Fiona, an 11-year-old poodle mix, was sick, covered in dirt, matted, infested with fleas and blind in both eyes. Fortunately, Audrey and Eldad Hagar, founders of Los Angeles-based animal rescue group Hope for Paws, came to Fiona’s aid. They cleaned and cared for her and took her to a veterinary ophthalmologist who confirmed her vision in one eye could be restored with surgery. Hope for Paws posted Fiona’s rescue video online, hoping to raise enough money for the expensive surgery. With the help of hundreds of donors all over the world, they raised the funds for her surgery, and Fiona was soon adopted into the loving home of Michele and Chris Gentry of Los Angeles, CA and three poodle sisters. Fiona’s miraculous story of survival has since garnered more than 5.5 million views online, a testament to what can be accomplished when homeless animals get a second chance.
Original post from 3/20/12:
This incredible video combines two other videos, from Hope for Paws‘ Eldad Hagar, which tell Fiona’s story. When Eldad and Audrey first find her, Fiona’s condition is shocking: filthy, flea-infested, blind, and despairing. But you’ve seen enough of these videos by know to know how it ends. No matter how many times we witness these transformations, they don’t get any less moving.
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