A New Beginning for Whitney

By Marcia Mathis

Once upon a time a precious little pointer mix puppy was born.  Like all newborns, she had the possibility of a full and wonderful life ahead of her.  But she would have challenges that her littermates did not because little Whitney, as she would come to be known, was born without eyes, perhaps the result of her double-dapple breeding.

Of course Whitney didn’t know she was different and thought her life was as full and joyful as all others.  And that could have been so for her whole long life had she had an owner who was willing to care for her the right way.  But just as children don’t get to choose their parents, nor do dogs get to choose their owners . . . a sometimes sad fact of which we are all aware.

For two years, Whitney stayed in her home with a family that failed to protect her from heartworms – a disease that surely would have killed her over time.  So Whitney had two strikes against her when one of our staff members, Betty Lawley, entered her life.

Betty wanted only the best for this beautiful girl.  A special needs dog, suffering from heartworms, needs either a caring family or a rescue willing to find that perfect person who would make sure that Whitney was given the life she was born to live…with or without sight.

So, Betty, who was fostering Whitney at the time, reached out to the Mobile SPCA and we were happy to be able to help.

First, we made sure that Whitney received all the vaccinations she needed to keep her healthy and strong during her quest to find her forever family.  We knew it might be difficult to find the best home here, but the ASPCA (our transport partner) agreed to help – and the more help we get, the better chances Whitney has!

And so her new journey began.  The ASPCA arranged for the Mobile SPCA to transport Whitney to Kentucky, and from there she would go to Wayside Waifs in Kansas City.  Saying goodbye to Whitney was heart-wrenching for us as we knew she would have to go on and off two trucks and be handled by a lot of different people and would surely be confused in the process.  Julie, Peggy and Janine were all crying as they handed Whitney over and bid her farewell.

Of course we checked on Whitney at Wayside Waifs and were so pleased to learn how well she’s doing.

“Whitney is doing great, she’s quickly become a staff favorite. I’ve witnessed our canine team and our behavior team spending time with her, sitting by her kennel talking to her, giving treats and love.

“We are taking things nice and slow, starting her on the heartworm treatment and slowly
introducing her to new people and smaller dogs. We anticipate that she will be available for adoption on the website soon. She is super sweet and friendly and we are happy to have her for this next part of her journey.

“I was able to spend a lot of time with Whitney this morning. I am IN LOVE with her. Such a sweet soul. We went for a long walk and she loved listening to the birds and taking in all of the smells.”

Wayside Waifs has sent photos and videos to let us see for ourselves how joyful Whitney is, and their updates make the sadness of saying goodbye to this beautiful girl all worth it.  She is going to make someone the best family member they could ever wish for.

2020 has been a tough year – for all of us!  Just like you, the Mobile SPCA has suffered financially, which affects our ability to help all the animals we want to.  Donations are down, and with our resale shop having been closed during the shutdown, our store revenue is down over $10,000.  But we’ve been through difficult times before, and our supporters unfailingly come through for us, making it possible for us to help thousands of animals each year.  We hope you are able to help us this year as well . . . no donation is ever too small, and every gift is greatly appreciated.  If Whitney could speak, she’d tell you thank you.