A team of dedicated animal rescuers is working around the clock to care for a senior poodle that was a victim of unimaginable abuse. After being found in a desperate state by a good Samaritan, Petal is now at a local animal hospital, fighting for her life.

The good Samaritan was driving down the road when she passed what looked like a stuffed animal coming out of a clear plastic bag. After pulling over to investigate further, she was horrified by what she discovered.

Laying next to a plastic bag was a malnourished Poodle sprawled on the hot summer cement. Her mouth was taped shut with duct tape, along with each of her legs being tied together. Though she was not found inside the plastic bag, the rescue believes she had already wiggled herself out by the time she was discovered.

Once the good Samaritan realized the gravity of the situation, she immediately jumped into action to save the dog’s life. She ran into a local business asking for scissors to cut the dog free, and called the local animal control to inform them of the situation. Soon after, Poodle and Pooch Rescue stepped in to offer their skilled assistance.

“This wasn’t even just throwing the dog away, this was torture.” – Rebecca Lynch, President of Poodle and Pooch Rescue

Rebecca Lynch of Poodle and Pooch Rescue stepped in and arranged for the pup to be transferred to the care of the East Orlando Animal Hospital. According to Dr. Peters, the abused pup was severely dehydrated, malnourished, anemic, and battling an infection in both eyes. After being lovingly named Petal, the team got to work on saving this sweet girl’s life.

“She was so weak she was unable to stand on her own. She is on four times/day feedings and she’s been ravenous, but needs to be fed slowly in several feedings so she doesn’t get sick. Every hour she has been improving but is still not out of the woods yet.” – Rebecca Lynch, President of Poodle and Pooch Rescue

Petal has been receiving care at the animal hospital for about 2 weeks now and is said to be improving by the day. A recent video shows her walking through their y ard with the help of a vet tech offering her back-end support with each step she takes. She has yet to muster the strength to use her rear legs on her own, but she is certainly giving it all she’s got.

The team at the animal hospital is unsure if her back legs are weak due to neurological issues or muscle atrophy, but they hope it will become clearer as time passes. Petal has a team of dedicated animal advocates on her side, along with the support of animal lovers around the country.

Petal is not yet strong enough to be adopted, but the team at Poodle and Pooch Rescue urges any interested adopters to keep up with her journey. The rescue has promised to offer updates as they come, so we suggest following along and supporting their efforts.

“A human tortured her and we want to show her that not all humans are bad. This is why we do what we do to save dogs in need in the Central Florida area.” – Rebecca Lynch, President of Poodle and Pooch Rescue

Update October 2021:

We have some very happy news for those of you who have followed Petal’s story! Petal has not only made a full recovery from her terrifying experience, but she has found an incredible family that loves her dearly.

Derick and Brad fell in love with Petal the moment they saw her photo posted online. They were horrified at the thought of everything she had been through, and they knew they wanted to be the ones to offer her the beautiful future she deserves.

The Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida received a flood of interested adopters once Petal’s story went viral. They sifted through the many adoption applications that came their way, but Brad and Derick seemed to stand out.

Brad and Derick were extremely invested in Petal’s care from the moment they heard her story. They continued to check in on the pup each step of the way, and were willing to do anything needed to make her feel special and loved. When they got the call that they were the chosen adopters, they could barely contain their excitement.

“Derick and Brad have all the time, love, experience and the means to care for Petal and provide her with the home she deserves. They’ve followed her journey, stayed in contact for regular updates and cheered her on from afar while they anxiously awaited the news that she was cleared to leave the hospital so they could pick her up and bring her home.” – Poodle and Pooch Rescue

Petal has not only found two loving parents that are devoted to her care, but she has also received two furry siblings that are in their senior years as well. Both pups have welcomed her into their family eagerly, offering the beautiful future the rescue so desperately wanted for her.

Thank you Brad and Derick for welcoming Petal into your home and giving her the forever family of her dreams!