The first glimpse of Cookie was unforgettable. Barely the size of a hand, she was curled beside a pile of garbage on a dusty roadside, surrounded by her equally fragile newborn siblings. Only days old, Cookie still had part of her umbilical cord attached, a cruel sign of how early her suffering began. Deep, infected wounds covered her tiny body, crawling with maggots, and the puppies’ cries were desperate screams. Their mother was gone, and the area was silent and remote.
With no rescue nearby, a passerby drove the pups for hours to reach a veterinarian. One sibling died along the way, but Cookie kept fighting. At the clinic, she was cold, barely breathing, and close to death. Wrapped in warmth and given constant care, she slowly responded. Volunteers watched over her day and night. Weeks later, Cookie runs, plays, and greets everyone with joy. Now, she waits. At last.