A dramatic tale with all the plot elements of a made-for-TV movie unfolded this week at Dallas Pets Alive. The true story about hope and overcoming adversity began with the anonymous surrender of a 6-year-old Rottweiler-Terrier mix in September. The female dog, in desperate and deteriorating health, was left tied to a post outside Dallas Animal Services sometime during the overnight hours of September 23. When she was discovered in the morning, no one knew where she had come from, who left her there, or the wonderful story that lay ahead.
Medical Intervention Was Needed
It was clear this poor gal had been neglected and had not been fed properly for some time. Significantly underweight, malnourished, and suffering from a bacterial infection in her uterus, the unidentified dog was spayed and treated with antibiotics. During her medical examination, it was discovered that she was microchipped.
After looking up her identification number in the national database, her family was located hundreds of miles away in Missouri. She had a home. She had been stolen some 4 years prior. Her name was Forbidden.
While her life and whereabouts since that time remain a mystery, it is clear she endured a rough life and produced at least one litter of pups, probably more, based on her physical condition.
Holding Out Hope
Even after all those years, her family in Missouri had never stopped looking for her and were overjoyed to get the call that she had been located and was alive. The family had held out hope that Forbidden’s micro-chip would eventually help bring her back to them. “We have her siblings, her mom, and her dad and we never stopping looking,” her owner’s daughter said. “We were hoping someone would eventually scan her chip and get in touch with us.” When asked how it felt to be reunited with their beloved pet after all those years of waiting and searching, Forbidden’s owner said, “It means the world to us to have her back,”
Before The Reunion
When Forbidden’s family was contacted, they were anxious to have her back home, and a reunion was immediately planned. However, her family needed some additional time to make the arrangements to travel from Missouri to Texas. In the meantime, DPA volunteers placed Forbidden in the PASS (Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender) program and searched for a temporary foster home while she awaited the arrival of her long-lost family. Forbidden’s sweet and gentle nature made her a good match for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department’s BARK Dorm (Building Attachment and Resilience K-9) and she took up a temporary residency with the specially trained teens incarcerated at Gainesville State School. There, she received some much needed love, attention, and treats.
After staying in the BARK Dorm for about a week, Forbidden’s family was able to fly to Dallas Love Field where the owner’s daughter was met by Forbidden and a DPA staff member. Our staff was so thrilled to be on site for the happy and emotional reunion.
All of us at DPA wish Forbidden a healthy and long life back home in Missouri. Happy Tails, sweet girl!
How Our Donors Helped
DPA supporters help write happy endings every day through their generous support of our life-saving programs. Because of their support, Forbidden was given much needed medical attention, medication, and a temporary place to stay through the PASS and BARK Dorm partnership. Without those donor funds, Forbidden’s story could have a much different ending. Without your support, Forbidden may not have found her way back to her loving human family AND her canine siblings and parents.
Thank you to each of our supporters for the part you played in DPA’s real- life version of a Hollywood movie script.
If you or someone you know needs temporary foster care or medical, training, or other assistance with a companion pet, please click here to reach out to our PASS volunteers for help and resources.
