09/01/2026
At about 6:50 on the morning of August 6, Martyātruly one of the kindest people you could ever meetāarrived at work and found a badly injured dog lying on a makeshift bed. It appeared someone had tried to make her comfortable before leaving her with us. Our best guess is that she had been hit by a car, and the person who brought her simply didnāt know what else to do.
She was bloody, barely responsive, and breathing so shallowly that we were certain she was dying. After contacting the Fresno Animal Centerāthe shelter serving the City of Fresnoāwe quickly loaded her into the car. They had a veterinarian on staff who could immediately assess her and, at the very least, provide a humane and peaceful death without further suffering. Sometimes, as heartbreaking as it is, that is the only kindness you can offer.
When Susie and Summer dropped her off, they told the staff, āIf she survives, please let us know. We want to help her.ā Honestly, none of us believed she would make it. Like the person who had brought her to us, we were simply searching for the quickest way to end her suffering.
The Fresno Animal Centerās veterinary team immediately assessed her and started fluids, pain medication, and trauma care. She was in shock with injuries consistent with being hit by a car, including trauma to her head. Her medical notes read: āSHOCKāstart trauma protocol.ā The treatment the veterinarian ordered was exactly what she needed. It saved her life and gave us the opportunity to take it from there.
On August 11, after several days of care at the Fresno Animal Center, she was stable enough to be released and begin the next stage of her recovery with ACT. We took her directly to our local veterinarian, where she was started on eye medication as we fight to save her injured eye, along with medication to help heal her damaged skin and the lingering effects of the poor care she endured before coming to us.
We named her Sara Lee, and she is one of the sweetest girls you could ever meet. We believe she is a Mastiff mix, and although she still carries the physical and emotional scars of her past, she is loving, gentle, and incredibly precious. Every day, she gets a little strongerāand every day, we see more of her beautiful personality begin to bloom.
At first, Sara Lee would shrink back in fear if someone moved too quickly or raised a hand. Now, she rushes forward asking for love and affection. She is absolutely perfect. While our hearts break for everything she has endured, we are incredibly grateful to be part of her healing and to show her that hands can be kind and people can be safe. ā¤ļø
We want to help more dogs like Sara Lee, but we cannot do it without you. Donations help us provide lifesaving medical care. Foster homes give recovering dogs a safe place to heal. Adopters make room for the next animal who desperately needs us.
Please donate, foster, adopt, or share Sara Leeās story. Together, we can give more animals the second chance they deserve. š¾
