In May 2023, we received an urgent call for help from Fulton County, GA.A Good Samaritan was walking his dog when he heard cries for help from a ditch. He looked for the cries and found a 40lb emaciated Mastiff with maggots in her mouth and paw.
Her body temperature was low; she was slipping into shock and having labored breathing; at times, she was gasping for air. Her shoulder appeared broken, her paw was swollen, and she couldn’t walk. The shelter vet told us she was suffering and needed immediate intervention to survive.
We suspect she had been lying in this ditch for a long time, long enough for maggots to start eating away at her wounds. Her injuries and breathing were consistent with blunt force trauma; we assume she was hit by a car and left to die. We immediately had her rushed to Blue Pearl for critical care. We named her Aziza, which means mighty. We needed her to stay strong and continue to fight.
Upon arrival, the doctors worked tirelessly to stabilize her. Aziza’s breathing was severely labored. Imaging showed she had a pneumothorax and required emergency surgery to have of chest tubes inserted to create negative pressure in the chest cavity and allow lung re-expansion. Thankfully, the air build-up slowed down.
In addition, her shoulder blade was detached from the body wall, and the wounds on her legs were deep and swollen. Aziza couldn’t walk; she only stood temporarily crouched over. A neurologist and an orthopedic surgeon evaluated her, and both determined that the nerves in her leg were destroyed and her injured leg was nonfunctional. Sadly, Aziza has lost her front leg.
Despite all this, Aziza showed us that she wanted to keep fighting for her life, and we fought alongside her. She was eating and soaking up all the love she received from the staff.
Aziza was severely shut down and we knew we needed the support of a trusted professional. We called Jeff Coltenback, a dear friend to our rescue for over a decade, and asked if he had space for her at his boarding facility in North Carolina. Lucky for us, he did.
Day in and day out Jeff would send us updates on things that may seem mundane to some but had us cheering from behind our screens, like letting him give her a massage, approaching him freely, or accepting a treat from his hand. If you’ve ever lived with a fearful dog, you’d understand. Over the weeks, Aziza started to learn the daily routine of her new life and what to expect next. She knew the route from her crate, through Jeff’s house, to the fenced yard where she trotted around and did her business.
She started making friends with the other canine residents and ventured further out on the walking trails nearby. This brave fighter accomplished so much. While Aziza’s wounds may have healed, her recovery journey isn’t over. She was ready for a compassionate family, willing to go at her pace and love her for who she was without expectation or judgment.
Finally the moment we’d all been waiting for, Aziza found her forever family! Happy tails, Aziza!
Finally the moment we’d all been waiting for, Aziza found her forever family! Happy tails, Aziza!