08/04/2026
Delta, now Dottie, will only know kindness for the rest of her days. Thank you for rescuing her, loving her, healing her and carving a brighter tomorrow for this precious girl.
We still insist that those responsible for such horrific abuse are held accountable to the fullest extend of the law. There is no pass for you.
It is hard to find the words to explain abuse to a child.
The truth is, I do not have words for what was done to this little girl. I do not know how to explain to my little one that someone watched her grow thinner, weaker and more wounded, and still did nothing to help her. When I cannot make sense of it myself, how am I supposed to make sense of it to a 7-year-old?
So instead, we focus on what our job is.
I tell him, “this is where we come in.”
This is where we slow down. Where we notice. Where we do not look away because suffering is painful or uncomfortable to witness. This is where we gently place our hands on a broken little body and begin showing her that the world can be kind.
I am teaching him that our job is to nurture her. To nurse her back to health. To protect her while she heals. To be patient with the places that hurt and tender with the parts of her that are still learning she is safe.
I am doing my best to raise a little guardian.
Not because I want him to carry the weight of everything cruel in this world, but because I hope he never walks past suffering and convinces himself it belongs to someone else.
I want him to notice the ones who have been overlooked. To understand that the vulnerable are not an inconvenience. That compassion is not simply something we feel. It is something we must choose to do.
Somewhere along the way, she found her name. We realized Delta never quite fit this tiny, gentle soul. It felt too strong, too bold for the little girl curled up in our laps asking so quietly to be loved. So we’ve decided to call her Dottie.
Sweet little Dottie 🩷
Today Dottie visited Middletown Veterinary Hospital, and she did so well. She was showered with more love than I can describe. Every person who met her seemed to instinctively understand just how much she has endured. Thank you to the incredible staff for making her feel so safe, and to the always fabulous Dr. Galloway for taking such good care of our sweet girl.
She is going to be okay.
We are going to help her body heal. We are going to teach her that hands can be gentle, homes can be safe and people can stay. And while we may never have the words to explain what happened before she came to us, we will spend every day showing her what happens now.
Thank you to every single person who has donated, shared her story, sent encouraging words or simply held her in your heart. Dottie is wrapped in the love of an entire community and we are so thankful.
She has been noticed.
She has been chosen.
She will never be overlooked again.
