The local police in Granada, Spain received a call from a concerned resident of a nearby village: He had found a neglected dog in a dire state. Every minute was a question of life or death for the emaciated dog. The people at the animal protection agency, Albergue de Animales Dog House, immediately got involved and rushed the extremely weak animal to the vet.
The horrified rescuers didn't allow themselves to have more than a little hope. The dog was so starved, that she barely weighed more than 15 lbs. Every single bone in her body could be seen through her skin.
The dog was so emaciated that she couldn't even carry her own weight. The rescuers named her Barilla, because she was as thin as a piece of spaghetti.
The vets were afraid that her organs would fail at any moment - no one was sure she would last the night. But they could also see a tiny shimmer left in Barilla's eyes: She was a fighter.
Before they could give her any food, the vets had to give her an infusion to stabilize her circulation. Then she was given a small bit of food and some water.
She was given 5-6 small portions of food everyday and started to gain some weight - and some self-confidence.
Her rescuers guessed she was around 10 months old and that she'd probably been locked up since birth by her torturer, who barely gave her any food or water. Thank goodness Barilla has gotten the chance to learn that there are also good humans out there.
Her health improved every week and her beauty was slowly revealed. She was thought to be a Belgian Shepherd cross.
For the first time in her life, Barilla looks proud and healthy and can look forward to a happy future. Thank goodness she was able to escape her tragic situation.
But we saved the best news for last: It was love at first sight for rescuer Eduardo Rodriguez and he decided to give Barilla a new home with him.
She was welcomed with open arms by him, his wife and daughter, and 5 other four-legged friends at home.
Barilla has many happy days ahead of her and hopefully she'll be able to forget the scars of her past. The authorities are still searching for the cruel torturer who treated her so awfully. At least her story has a happy ending.
