Winnie the French bulldog puppy started life “alone and abandoned.”
According to Amanda Zimmer, Tri-County Animal Rescue’s rescue manager, Animal Care and Control in Boca Raton, Fla., found the 9-month-old dog wandering around as a stray.
Tri-County Animal Rescue, a Florida-based nonprofit dedicated to pet rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption, picked up Winnie from Animal Care and Control because the tiny pup needed emergency treatment.
“We picked her up as an urgent medical case because of her heartworms. We had no idea her heartworms would be the easiest item to treat for her,” Zimmer tells PEOPLE.
“When I first saw Winnie, my heart broke. Her eye was hanging from her body,” the rescue manager recalls, adding the French bulldog “was so filthy that she needed two baths immediately.”
After taking over Winnie’s care, Tri-County Animal Rescue brought the pup to the Lois Pope Pet Clinic, the nonprofit’s low-cost community hospital. At the hospital, Winnie received immediate and intensive medical attention. The stay also revealed the extent of the puppy’s health issues. Winnie arrived with heartworm, congenital anomalies of the kidneys, and a serious eye injury, which led to the eye’s removal. Winnie is blind in her remaining eye.
Zimmer says Winnie’s past remains “tragically unknown” because the dog had “no microchip and no loving family searching for her.” So, it is unclear how the puppy ended up in the “terrible condition” she was found in. Because of her health issues, Tri-County Animal suspects Winnie could be the result of inbreeding at a puppy mill or backyard breeder.
Now that Winnie is safe at Tri-County Animal Rescue, the dog can focus on her recovery, but it will be a long road.
“Winnie’s recovery will be long and challenging, filled with necessary heartworm treatment, specialized care for her kidneys, and careful management of her blindness. She is too weak to undergo surgery at this time. She’ll need unwavering love, patience, and medical support to heal,” Zimmer shares.
Winnie is ready for love. While the pup is “terribly ill,” she remains “pure, innocent, and bursting with happiness.”
“Winnie doesn’t know how broken she is. She runs, she plays, she wags her little body with so much energy, so much joy. She’s a puppy and acts like a puppy. And that’s what makes this so much harder to bear,” Zimmer says.
The French bulldog pup will not be available for adoption for at least two months. She needs time to complete her heartworm treatment and get strong enough to have her spay surgery.
Those who want to help Winnie now are encouraged to donate to Tri-County Animal Rescue.
“Every donation — big or small — helps us fight for Winnie. Helps us treat her heartworms. Helps us support her kidneys. Helps us give her a chance. If you can give, please do. If you can’t, please share. She needs all of us now more than ever,” Tri-County Animal Rescue’s rescue manager shares.
Zimmer looks forward to seeing how Winnie thrives when exposed to the “power of compassion.”
“She symbolizes hope, proving that with care and kindness, even the most broken hearts can begin to heal.”
