“It’s like she almost can’t believe that she’s finally out of that awful situation and all these nice people are paying such good attention to her.”
Meeting her for the first time, The Mutt Scouts founder Nikki Audet couldn’t believe her eyes.
“She was just used over and over and over again,” Audet told The Dodo. “Her past was definitely one long nightmare.”
The rescue group got her into an animal hospital immediately, where vets confirmed Audet’s suspicions: Sophie was not only bred constantly, but was also used as a bait dog in dogfighting. The scars across her body and the bloody bite marks on her ears were evidence that she was attacked time and time again.
Five-year-old Sophie was also riddled with ticks and fleas. After constant medicated baths and antibiotics, the bite wounds around her ears and face were slowly healing. After a few weeks, she started feeling good enough to travel to California to continue treatment.
Now, whether hanging out in the grass or taking a bath, Sophie just seems glad to finally have nice people in her life.
“She absolutely loves people,” Audet said. “She even gives us hugs. She is just the sweetest girl.”
“She’s still really terrified of other dogs,” Audet said. “You can tell some really bad things have happened. It’s like she’s saying, ‘Oh my God, what are you going to do to me?’ whenever she sees one.”
Over the next few weeks, however, Sophie will be working with a dog behaviorist and trainer to increase her confidence and become less fearful of other dogs. While there’s a chance she may never be fully comfortable, training has already been off to a great start, Audet said.
“It’s almost like she thinks it’s strange that other dogs aren’t attacking her,” Audet said. “She’s very earnest, but you can tell that she just wants to know what to do and how to socialize so badly. She’s never had that before. so it all needs to be taught very slowly and patiently.”
“It’s like she almost can’t believe that she’s finally out of that awful situation and all these nice people are paying such good attention to her,” Audet said. “She is so grateful. You can just see it.”