A stray boxer-pit bull mix was starving, injured, and left alone in a public park in Bloomington, Indiana. When they came across her, bystanders quickly dialed the local sheriff’s office to request assistance. It was tragic for those watching.
Officer Jeff Ripley fell in love right away.
Within minutes, Rosie Ahlberg, Jeff’s fiancée, was driving back home with the dog, whom they named Daisy, in her backseat. The local animal shelter was closed for the day, and the poor dog had nowhere to go. The couple decided to house her for the night.
Ahlberg, a regular volunteer at the City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control shelter, brought Daisy into the shelter as soon as possible.
After cleaning up some open wounds and soothing some burns, they diagnosed her with a torn ACL, a torn meniscus, a luxating patella and, likely, years of emotional abuse. Then they tracked down her former owner — the fourth one Daisy, who is only a few years old, had had in her short life.
The owner said Daisy had been hit by a car in April, and they now wanted nothing to do to her.
For Ahlberg and Ripley, this was the perfect opportunity to show Daisy that she was loved.
“Jeff has a big heart for animals,” Ahlberg explained. The couple already owned a rescue dog and two cats, and the decision to adopt another pet was a big one.
But after seeing how well she got along with the other animals in their home, the couple couldn’t resist adopting her. “We really wanted to give this dog a chance to know love and what a good home is,” Ahlberg said.
Daisy instantly felt at home in her new residence. Only a few weeks after being adopted, she is now at ease being petted, doesn’t flinch at loud noises, and gets along really well with the other animals.
She’s such a good dog and deserves everything, but there’s less room in the bed, Ahlberg said.
Daisy’s head is always pressed against the bedroom window as I leave for school in the morning, Ahlberg continued. “I glance up from my driveway and see Daisy’s head.” Daisy has grown to love her family during the short weeks it’s taken her to settle into her new home.
While things are certainly looking up for Daisy, she is still in dire need of surgery to repair her injuries.
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