When workers at a warehouse outside Memphis, Tennessee, noticed the little dog hiding near their workplace for a few days, they began leaving food out for her.
Despite being too shy to allow the workers to approach her, the dog managed to smile from inside the tire. They took her photo and put it on the internet to see if anyone could help.
Luckily, Michella Quina, a member of the Streetdog Foundation, rushed out immediately after seeing the photos because she knew the puppy could be in danger if she panicked and ran into a nearby road, where always crowded with trucks from the warehouse.
After successfully rescuing the dog, they named the dog Panama after the name of the street she was found on. The dog was immediately taken to the vet, where it was discovered that she had mange and worms.
Fortunately, despite the severity of the mange, it was not contagious, so she wouldn’t have to be quarantined. Quina brought her home as a foster and she began her road to recovery. So far, she’s loved playing with Quina’s dogs and meeting every new person who comes to visit her.
The dog is still itching and losing fur, but she doesn’t let them bother her. She’s been the most happy-go-lucky dog ever. She loves other dogs, cats, people, toys … She’s a really good dog.
Even though she’s only 14 weeks old, Panama is almost fully toilet trained and for Quina it’s a huge gift that she was once someone’s pet. Quina thought that “at some point, she got mange and the owners just thought she wasn’t worth treating”.
Fortunately, Panama has now found people who have gone above and beyond to give the help she so needs and deserves. Panama visits the vet every few days for a medicated wash to help clean up her skin.
As if she wasn’t adorable enough, she’s also been sporting brightly-colored onesies to stop her from scratching her sensitive back.
Although Panama is far from being healed, it can be said that the worst is already behind her and now she can just enjoy being a pup and flashing that contagious grin of hers.
