This Neglected Dog Got A 2-Week Celebration Before She Died

Facebook/PETA

For almost her entire 12-year life, an adorable corgi mix named Miss Willie was chained 24/7 in a yard outside of a home in Halifax County, North Carolina. According to PETA, when members from the organization first discovered the neglected dog, they pleaded with her owner to allow her to come inside or to let her go. But the owner refused. So, instead, a PETA worker named Jes Cochran and others visited Miss Willie as often as they could over the years, providing her with food and a permanent shelter, refilling her water bowl, giving her toys, and, most importantly, lavishing her with scratches and affection to help make her life a little less lonely.

However, during Cochran’s last visit, she discovered that Miss Willie was wheezing and weak. Finally, the dog’s owner relented and surrendered the dying animal over to PETA. Cochran rushed Miss Willie to emergency care, but the veterinarian declared that the canine was suffering from terminal heartworm disease and had only weeks to live.

Determined to make the last chapter of her life a happy one, Cochran decided to take Miss Willie home and create a bucket list for her final weeks:

The first order of business was a birthday party, complete with decorations, doggy friends and a vegan birthday cake:

Miss Willie also visited a fire station:

Thanks to Cochran, Miss Willie was also treated to vegan pizza, a vegan burrito, a massage, canoe ride, a day at the beach, and a soft and comfortable dog bed where she slept indoors for the first time in her life.

Sadly, 16 short but happy days after her rescue, Miss Willie passed away peacefully.

In a statement on the organization’s website, PETA senior vice president Daphna Nachminovitch said:

“PETA is grateful to have been able to give Miss Willie a joyful final chapter after the lifetime of neglect that she endured. This story shows exactly why PETA is so committed to banning continuous tethering of dogs everywhere, including in Halifax County, where this poor dog languished for over a decade.”

As of today, less than half of the states in the U.S. have laws limiting or prohibiting the tethering of dogs. Find out if your state is one of them from this map provided by the Michigan State University College of Law.

Animals, Good News, News, Pets
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About the Author
Margeaux Baulch Klein
Margeaux Baulch Klein is a freelance writer and digital strategist based in Los Angeles. She has written for publications like the Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Bustle, and HelloGiggles, among others.

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