Rescued Dog Wakes Up Her New Guardian in the Middle of the Night to Say ‘Thank You’ (PHOTOS)

Dogs are, plain and simply stated, amazing. They greet us when we come home after a long day at work with love and kisses and for some dogs, it doesn’t even take hours of being out of the house for them to miss us — our absence can be as brief as a trip to the mailbox. In that light, it’s a wonder that there are still humans out there who consciously work to keep dog fighting alive, but sadly, hundreds of dogs are victimized by this industry every day.

While some of us may believe that there’s no hope for a dog who’s made it out of dog fighting alive to find a loving home, dogs continue to surprise us in ways that we cannot even begin to fathom with their resilience. Looking at Niya, the dog in the photo below, it’s clear that she has never known that humans could love her. Her ears were cut, most likely to prepare her for a life of being forced to fight other dogs, and her body was covered with wounds and scars that will likely be there for the rest of her life.

When Kimberly Slown, founder of Arrow Dog Rescue, first arrived at Gibson County Animal Shelter in Trenton, Tennessee, Niya was so traumatized that would not budge. She eventually had to be carried to Slown’s car.

It took only a few days for Niya to learn that there are humans out there who are trustworthy. According to Slown, “she came and woke me up 5 times in the middle of the night by putting her muzzle into my hand.”

Along with following Slown around (even to the bathroom), Niya has a bed and toys of her very own. We’re so glad that she’s on the road to recovery!

While Niya has made amazing strides in her recovery, she still has a long way to go. According to Slown, after playing with the other dog in the house, Niya will often “[fly] back into this corner for safety.” 

It will take a long time before a dog like Niya will feel completely at ease around other dogs and humans, but we are so glad that Niya has somebody like Slown by her side. We’re rooting for you, Niya! Slowly, but surely, you’ll get there.

To follow Niya on her road to recovery and to learn more about Arrow dog rescue, visit their official Facebook.

All image source: Arrow Dog Rescue/Facebook