Zena the Warrior Princess

Early last October, a little lost dog was brought to the shelter by one of the DCAC road officers. She was found tied out, emaciated and almost hairless from abuse. Her skin condition was diagnosed as a form of dermatitis, probably from a severe and untreated flea infestation.

Most of the fleas were gone by the time she arrived at the shelter, as absent barely any hair at all on her tiny body, the fleas no longer had any room to hide on this sweet little spirit. The road officer named her Zena after the warrior princess because it was apparent that she was a fighter. She had obviously been bred and abandoned to death.

Little Zena was taken for a bath and some flea treatment and ultimately she spent a few days in isolation having her skin condition treated by shelter staff. Afterward, she was placed in a cage in the puppy room where she sat and looked out at visitors with a pitiful gaze as people walked by and never stopped to look at little Zena. Those that did look at her seemed repulsed and would often be heard to exclaim, “Eweee! what’s wrong with that dog!”

In her poor physical condition, who would want this down trodden little dog without hair and barely a bag of skin stretched over some bones. The volunteers soon rallied around Zena and began networking her and bringing her sweaters to wear and taking her out on walks with treats and spending time socializing this little broken spirit.

A lot of TLC was provided and after a couple of weeks, little Zena began to put on a little weight and grow some of her hair back. She was still pitiful, but she was making progress and her inner spirit began to capture the hearts of all who knew her. In early December it was decided that it was time for Zena’s coming out party and so she was included with the group of dogs that went to the first off site adoption event at the newly opened Pet things on Douglas Blvd in Douglasville.

Little Zena was given her own crate next to the other dogs that day out front of the store and immediately after the event set up was finished, the owner of Pet things came out to see how things looked. That was when Terry saw Zena for the first time. Everyone could immediately see that Terry, the owner of Pet Things, was drawn to little Zena and her obviously challenged body. Terry told us that if it was OK, that he wanted to take Zena inside and give her a bath in his in store pet bath facility.

Soon Zena was bathed and beautiful and ready to meet the world, but she did not reappear outside with the other dogs after her bath. Terry had made it known that he wanted her to stay inside and rest behind the counter while he continued to pamper and look after her.

At the end of the day, most of the dogs that came that day had been adopted, all but little Zena who was now comfortable on one of Terry’s dog beds behind the counter. There she sat content as could be and underneath a warm blanket and enjoying all the newly found attention she was being shown. Little Zena looked right at home and as if she this was where she wanted to stay.

Terry and his wife Kathy soon informed Tracy Thompson the shelter supervisor, that they wanted to foster Zena. So arrangements were made. Zena stayed with Terry and Kathy over the next couple of weeks and she was treated for her skin condition and vetted at Terry’s and Kathy’s expense by their own personal veterinarian. Zena would go home with them at night and return to be one of the store mascots during the day, alongside Terry and Kathy’s other dogs. In a matter of two weeks from the time they took her in, she had an abundant growth of new hair and we could all see that she actually had large brown spots in her mostly white fur coat. No one knew what color her fur had been before Terry and Kathy took her in. .

Soon Zena had caught the eye of one of Terry’s friends in Indiana and after some phone conversations and a visit to Georgia, little Zena had a new home. She also had a new name compliments of Kathy. The day they took little Zena in, Kathy gave her the name Samantha and she took her shopping in the store and outfitted her with a brand new collar and leash and with toys and her very own wardrobe of sweaters and blankets. Little Zena (now Sam) had obviously never seen the level of love and attention she was being shown and she truly blossomed everyday over the next three weeks.

By the end of December, those of us who had known her from the beginning, could barely believe that this was the same little dog we had seen brought in two months earlier all but starved. Sam now lives in Indiana and to see her today, those of us who knew her before would never dream that this was the same little lost dog who came to Douglas county animal control as an abandoned stray last fall. Hairless, abused and close to death. The love and compassion of staff, volunteers and the community gave this little dog a chance and a chance was all that she needed.

Sam is now living the life that she and other lost and abandoned companion animals deserve and her new life was the culmination of a community working together to provide alternative solutions to the irresponsibility of some pet owners in our community. Congratulations to Sam and her new family and thank you to Terry and Kathy for being the catalyst that was needed to help a little lost dog find forever love and happiness with people who will love her and care for her.