Chella Phillips, a long-time rescuer, dedicated her entire life to saving dogs.

While many of them found forever homes, thanks to her compassionate efforts, Phillips’ job is far from glamorous. Witnessing heartbreaking abandonment stories and finding dogs struggle in horrifying conditions until their final breath is often the hardest part of her work.

Recently, Athanasia, a dog found on the beach completely anemic and barely alive, tugged at Chella’s heartstrings like no dog had in a long time.

And, it was only due to Phillips’ timely reaction that she was given a fighting chance. 

She Was In A Heartbreaking Condition

Athanasia left her rescuer truly heartbroken. She had been dumped at a local beach, referred to in Phillips’ vocabulary as a “cemetery for abandoned and homeless dogs.” 

This fading canine lay under a car, trying to compose herself while starving and barely clinging to life. Upon further inspection, Phillips realized that Athanasia was a nursing mom, but her babies were nowhere to be found.

Thanks to her fellow volunteers and a local man who lived nearby, Phillips successfully trapped Athanasia and loaded her into the car. Sadly, her situation was far from ideal. Although anemic and malnourished, the dog refused to eat and looked completely shut down.

“I brought food and gave it to her but she didn’t eat.. I could see she was starved but she couldn’t care about the food,” Phillips wrote in a Facebook post.

During her rescue, the man who helped the team informed them that Athanasia had given birth to puppies about four months earlier, which shocked Phillips to the core. 

Only a few months prior, those exact puppies had been saved by her organization and were already thriving. 

While delighted to have the whole family reunited, Phillips remained worried about Athanasia’s condition. She immediately took her to the vet for an exam, learning that this mama dog suffered from a venereal tumor.

Additionally, she had mange and was severely dehydrated.

Fortunately, her condition wasn’t fatal but required immediate treatment. The vet team ensured she regularly received antibiotics along with a well-planned diet. 

That way, Athanasia had a fighting chance with the chemotherapy necessary for her full recovery.

From The Saddest Face To The Happiest Dog

They say love heals a broken heart, and they’re usually right!

Thanks to Phillips and an amazing veterinary team, Athanasia responded incredibly well to chemotherapy. 

And, it is safe to say that it only took this sweet girl a matter of weeks to fully transform into a brand-new dog. Her sorrowful face faded into the happiest smile ever when Phillips took her to a temporary home. 

“The pathetic little girl that I picked up that day with the saddest face, now smiles happy to her new life. She has a bed in my bedroom, listens music during the day,” Phillips added in another post.

Athanasia now enjoys living a calm, peaceful life alongside her other rescue buddies. She is the epitome of a cuddle bug and loves meeting new dogs and people, which makes her an excellent candidate for adoption!

“She gets along great with other dogs and she is so sweet and loving to people in general,” her rescuer states.

While her two puppies have already found their forever homes, Phillips hopes Athanasia’s new family is just around the corner. This brave girl certainly deserves to have a place to call her own, far from the “cemetery” where she once lived.

Good luck, Athanasia! And, best of luck!

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Source: CNN