The volunteers of Hungry Tailz Rescue comb Stockton’s homeless encampments to provide care for pets in often dirty, deplorable conditions. But nothing could have prepared them for what they recently found.
The puppy had adorable floppy ears. But she was hairless, and someone had scrawled across her wrinkly skin with a marker. The cruel culprit had even inked false eyebrows on the dog.
Volunteers knew this baby would need special treatment.
They named her Naya. By one definition, it means “fresh” or “new.”
The rescue group detailed Naya’s plight in a social media post earlier this month.
The otherwise adorable pooch was first treated by a veterinarian for a type of mange that can result in hair loss. And then volunteers worked to nurse Naya back to health, Hungry Tailz Rescue’s founder, Soledad Munoz, told Stocktonia.
Naya appears to be 9 or 10 weeks old and a mixed breed. As word of her recovery spread, she became something of a canine celebrity.
Her plight was detailed in Newsweek and People magazines. The call-out for a foster home resulted in inquiries from as far away as Alaska and New York, Munoz said.
In the end, Naya went to live with a local foster family. And as of Monday, there was even more good news.
“Her foster parents told me they are officially adopting her,” Munoz said.
The story of Naya’s rescue from the streets of Stockton has had another benefit, too. It’s brought attention to the work being done by Hungry Tailz Rescue. Volunteers tour the camps on Fridays, taking food, vaccines and, when needed, crates for homeless animals.
Munoz founded Hungry Tailz last year to try to help care for pets in the local encampments. She said it’s not unusual to find people with five or more dogs, “some as many as 15 or 20.”
And Naya? From the depths of despair, she is now one of the lucky ones.