Sapphire, A Gem In The Rough

Love and compassion know no bounds when it concerns matters of the heart.

Little Sapphire came to the animal shelter on February 5th as an abandoned stray. Turned in by a citizen who apparently found her wandering. She was under weight, dejected and terrified the first time I saw her in her steel box in the puppy room.

While she is in actuality an adult, her growth has obviously been stunted by repetitive breeding. Her stomach and breasts sagged from the obvious abuse, yet her eyes were aglow with love the moment she sensed any level of kindness toward her.

Thus was the beginning of Sapphire's journey through Douglas county animal shelter. A poor pitiful looking little dog who had been cast aside and abandoned. Sapphire is what is known as a 'pocket Pitty.' Too small to be of any use or interest to those engaged in the illicit practice of dog fighting or macho breeding, but none the less she could be used as a brood mare for littlers and she certainly had been by the looks of her condition upon arrival.

Those who came to know Sapphire over the past several weeks have all been amazed at what a loving little dog she truly is and what beautiful eyes she has. Abused beyond comprehension, but still willing to trust strangers and to accept any kindness that was shown her, Sapphire soon became the love of many of the shelter volunteers.

Sapphire was the name she was given when she arrived at the shelter and there must have been some serendipity involved, as she is truly a little gem in the rough. Abused and broken, yet beautiful beyond comprehension. Below the surface of the scarred body and soul of a once broken spirit, was a tiny heart longing to be loved. 

All it took to reveal the true beauty of this little creature was for the right heart to recognize her rarity of spirit and beauty and to nurture it. That person was a local advocate and someone who regularly volunteers her time at the shelter. She had seen and visited with little Sapphire on her regular visits to the shelter the past three weeks and last Sunday she decided to act.

Lisa saw in Sapphires eyes the longing for love and the reaching out that only lost and abandoned animals can communicate to you with their eyes. Last Sunday, after visiting again with little Sapphire, Lisa decided that she had more than enough room in her heart for this little lost soul and so she adopted Sapphire and became her new family and forever home.

Little Sapphire is in her new home now with her new family and she is blossoming more and more each day. From a little lost spirit to a creature capable of love on a level that only those who speak to animals and those who love them can ever know. This little Gem in the rough has already become the shining example of what a little love and compassion, combined with kindness and concern can do in the life of an animal. Congratulations to Sapphire and Lisa and her new family. Sapphire will now have the chance at a life that only three weeks ago were not much more than a dimed dream in a pair of beautiful abandoned eyes at the shelter.

There are many other dogs and cats like Sapphire that are available for adoption at the shelter weekly and they need our help to find loving homes. Please take the time to visit the Douglas County Animal Shelter located at 1755 County Services Road (off Cedar Mountain Road) this week.

Or you can visit the Douglas county shelter pets in depth and with personal commentaries on individual animals by those who know them best. Their photos are posted and profiled daily on volunteer pages at: Rainbow Connections on Facebook  Or our sister page at: Furbabies of DCAS on Facebook. Or the other advocate pages like Douglasville Pawlunteers or Animal Advocate Georgia or Douglas County Animal Friends.

Douglas County Animal Control also maintains PetFinder listings on their website.

Pet listings on the volunteer pages are updated daily; therefore, some animals featured may be adopted prior to your visiting the shelter. Finding forever homes for these pets is the goal of those involved in the volunteer efforts of the past year. So please consider giving another of these  loving pets a home if the one you first saw on one of our pages has already been adopted when you come to the shelter. Come see these sweet dogs and cats and allow them to show you just how special they each can be once they are given a chance to be loved and to have a loving home.

Adoption fees for dogs and cats at the shelter are $25 and there is a $10 micro chip fee. That means for $35 you have the opportunity to make a friend for life and the opportunity to give a homeless fur kid a forever home.

All dogs presently receive intake inoculations for kennel cough, parvo and distemper (cats receive distemper as part of a five way vaccination). All pets adopted from the shelter are required to have their rabies shots and be spayed or neutered within thirty days of adoption, unless they are kittens or puppies, Kittens and puppies are given extended time. The Douglas County Animal Shelter phone is: 770-942-5961. If the line is busy, please keep trying as there is often limited staff to answer calls. However, messages left will be returned as time permits.