Last year, a heavy storm passed through De Doorns, South Africa. In the wake of the rain, Rachael Sylvester, founder of dog rescue Sidewalk Specials, went to check on some pups she’d heard were living in a local municipal dump.
When Sylvester arrived at the flooded junkyard, one dog in particular caught her eye. She was scavenging through the garbage, looking for something to eat — and she was limping.
Sylvester asked around about the dog and was saddened to hear that her owner had been taken to jail. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Sylvester learned why the pup was limping.
“One of the garbage trucks had come in fast and hit her,” Sylvester told The Dodo. “And she actually had a broken hip.”
It was clear the dog desperately needed help. Sylvester wasn’t sure whether the dog would be too scared to let anyone approach her, but the pup seemed to understand that Sylvester wanted to help.
“She didn’t resist at all when I picked her up,” Sylvester said. “She didn’t struggle, she didn’t fight. I think she was so tired.”
Sylvester rushed the dog, whom she decided to name Penny, over to the vet right away. Not only was Penny’s hip broken, but she was also dealing with mange, tick bite fever and malnutrition.
Penny had a long, intense surgery to heal her shattered hip. The procedure was successful, and the doctors were confident she’d be walking comfortably in no time. After a few weeks of recovery at the clinic, Penny went to stay with her foster mama, Tam.
It was winter when Penny first got to her foster home. So she spent a lot of time cozied up under blankets by the fireplace. For the first time in her life, she was safe and warm.
“I think she was so tired from her life that she didn’t get up, but her little tail would be wagging through the blanket,” Tam told The Dodo.
While she was spending her days on the couch recovering from her surgery, Penny made fast friends with Tam’s cat, who shared her love of lounging around.
Before long, Penny’s hip was fully healed, just in time for the weather to warm up. She was finally able to do all the things dogs love to do: going on long walks, running around outside and playing with loved ones.
One day, potential adopters came to visit Penny to see if she would be a good fit for their family. It was love at first sight — within hours, they let Sidewalk Specials know they wanted to take Penny home.
Penny has now spent about six months with her new family, whom she fit in with right away.
“She’s her dad’s best friend, mum’s protector,” Sylvester said. “She’s included in every outing, included in every holiday.”
Seeing how joyfully Penny runs around, it’s hard to imagine she was ever limping through a garbage dump. Now, her broken hip is nothing but a distant memory, and she has a lifetime of sprinting on the beach to look forward to.
