Meet Ellie

This is Ellie. Today, she started a new life with a new family, but her story begins long before she came into our lives...

Ellie is an 8 year old female Standard Poodle. Several years ago she was owned by a woman who took great care of her, brought her routinely to the vet for checkups, vaccines, and management of her occasional seizures, fed her well, and kept her clean, groomed, and loved. Unfortunately, she could not keep Ellie and gave her to a man who cared for her for a while, but his life fell apart and he stopped feeding her. He stopped getting her groomed. He stopped taking her to the vet until he cut a deep gash in her leg trying to cut through the three inch thick mats that covered her body, and had no choice but to bring Ellie to the veterinarian who used to see her regularly.

What the clinic staff first thought was an overweight dog was an emaciated animal covered in inches of matted, dirty hair. Once Ellie was shaved down and relieved of her mats, the staff could truly see the shocking condition she was in. Ellie was a literal skeleton, her skin was brittle and inflamed, her ears were infected and she had a large growth on one side that needed to be removed, in addition to the laceration on her leg that required stitches. The lack of basic care and food had not only broken Ellie's body, but her spirit as well. She was withdrawn and depressed, barely interacting with the world around her. For a dog as social and intelligent as a Standard Poodle, lack of human contact is almost more damaging than lack of food.

But Ellie had landed in a soft spot, and the staff at the clinic worked long and hard to nurse her back to health. Vet assistant Rachel was especially touched by Ellie's condition, and spent as much time with the neglected dog as she could, making her comfortable and giving her the love she so desperately needed.

Rachel also called me almost immediately after Ellie came into her care and told me her story, and both of us determined to find her a loving, forever home at any cost.

The first person I thought of was my mom, Norma. With a love for poodles, a huge heart, and a job that kept her home during the day, she was the perfect potential new home. What Ellie needed was food, love, and a quiet place to rest and recover, and my mom could give her that. When I told her about Ellie, she was heartbroken and offered to be the "last resort" home if we couldn't find another place for her to go, since she and my dad weren't planning on taking on another big dog any time soon with one rambunctious Standard already in the house.

But the instant the two met, I knew they were meant for each other and that God had brought the two of them together. Norma started crying, I started crying, and Ellie just asked for more snuggles.

To make a long story short, after a few agonizing weeks of waiting, Ellie was coming home with my mom! As I type she is on her way home to New Jersey and a life full of love and meatballs. I hope that this blog will help keep everyone updated on her recovery and transition to life as a spoiled poodle! We are so blessed to have Ellie come into our lives, and to be able to give love and care to an animal who needs it so badly.

If you would like to learn more about the awesome people at the vet clinic who saved her life, please visit: whttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Berwyn-Veterinary-Center/165223433503227?ref=ts&fref=ts.