Healing a shelter dog's broken back and wounded spirit (tissue alert!) [View all]

FULL STORY: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/dog-with-broken-back-janie_n_3279216.html


Once ravaged by crippling pain and fear, a brave dog's inspiring recovery is a testament to the power of second chances.

Janie, a 2-year-old terrier mix, was brought to a shelter in the Los Angeles area in mid-April. She had been run over by a car after being abandoned by her owner.

According to Annie Hart, executive director of the Bill Foundation, a Beverly Hills-based rescue organization that rehabilitates and finds homes for dogs taken from the streets and from shelters, Janie's back -- and spirit -- had been broken by the trauma she had endured.

"In so much pain, and in a strange place, she was too scared to let anyone touch her. She quickly was labeled aggressive and it was highly unlikely -- less than a 10 percent chance -- that she would get out of the shelter alive," Hart told The Huffington Post.