Here is a wonderful story from reader Betty Martin about her beautiful rescued dog, Babi:
“Hi
I will tell you about my sweet little dog Babi..
Eleven years ago, she was rescued from a puppy mill. Her age was judged to be about four years old. She had had many puppies by then, and was suffering from malnutrition and psoriasis. She had sores all over her, and had to be completely shaved. They said she was a toy poodle/terrier cross. She had been in a cage for the four years of her life.
By some miracle I was blessed to have acquired this little sole. The manager from the SPCA happened to walk in to my place of work, to have something repaired, and I casually said that I was someday going to be looking for a dog. He said, “I have just the little dog for you”. He explained that they had just rescued many little dogs from a puppy mill, and in a couple of weeks, when they were vet checked and settled, that I should come to see “her”. He seemed to have the one dog in mind for me. And so I went in two weeks. He did not offer to have to me look at all the dogs, he simply had a young fellow bring in Babi. There she was, completed naked, one ear flopping down, looking so scared. He put her in my arms. She was so sad and so homely that I hugged her close and said, yes, I wanted to adopt her. They said her name was Baby on the cage, but she never learned it was her name for a long time. 
She never learned to play, but gathered all the “dog” toys and wrapped herself around them, and licked and cleaned them. It took 3 months of her not being afraid to go outside, and she never left my foot when she did her duties. The world was too big for her for a while. She loved my two old dogs, one, Honey, being 16 years and the other, Gismo being 17 years and when I lost them a year later, she was very upset losing first one friend and then the other. She was a smiler (I learned that after 3 months of having her, and she never smiled for about 4 months after losing them. She visited Honeys grave summer and winter first thing in the morning. I don’t know how she knew where she was, because we made sure she never saw us bury her.
It took her 3 years to trust anyone else to the point of her acknowledging them, or not growling at them to stay away, including my grandchildren, except for my youngest, who was just over a year old. Kassie had no fear of Babi, and loved her just as she was. She persisted touching gently and talked quietly to her, and finally after two more years having Babi in her arms, and Babi finally loved her as much as Kassie loved Babi. And finally she accepted others in the family, and a few visitors. And now after years, she likes most other people…except for a chosen few, that she ignores, or warns away, all 8 pounds of her. She got to love her walks and the dog parks.
There are too many wonderful stories about this sweet little dog of mine. She has been so faithful, and trusting of me. She is also very intelligent.
Attached is a picture of how beautiful she is now,taken two years after she came into my life. This is one of her favorite “dog” toys She still has those sad eyes, that never changed, but she has been so happy and spoiled and loved.
She is now 15, and has been diagnosed with advanced heart disease, and I have a broken heart. She has slowed down so much, and I hug her, and love her. She wags her tail as she looks at me, but her eating, her favorite thing to do, has slowed to almost nil. She is content to be just close to me, and she has no pain, so we are saying a slow goodbye to each other, another miracle, being able to do that.
Some friends have said that at least she was lucky to have me. They were wrong, it was I that was so lucky to have her.
If anyone is looking for a dog, check with the SPCA, and all animal shelters…One if those dogs may be the miracle they didn’t know was coming into their lives.
Betty Martin”
