A dog named Zoe who was found with all four of her paws and her ears cut off has shown incredible courage to thrive in the face of adversity.
Zoe was first discovered on the streets of Cairo by a volunteer from the Animal Protection Foundation (APF). “She was in a horrific condition,” Debbie Pearl, who Zoe now lives with in Huntington Beach, California, told Newsweek.
Emaciated and scared, someone had deliberately amputated all four of Zoe’s paws as well as her ears. Though Pearl acknowledges that “nobody really knows why” this was done to Zoe, it’s not an entirely isolated incident. Another dog, called Elliot, came to her in the same condition from Cairo.
Zoe and Elliot have one thing in common: their coats are both black. Pearl said she has spoken with people who run sanctuaries in other countries who believe black cats and dogs are often perceived as “evil” by some in society.
Her concerns were echoed by one veterinarian in Turkey back in 2020. In an interview with the Hürriyet Daily News, vet Nurhan Kahraman suggested two separate incidents involving a cat and a puppy, in which both animals had two of their legs amputated, could have been down to black magic.
Zoe was found in the most distressing of states. Even then, she was able to protect and care for a litter of puppies.
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“When the cat was brought to me, its two legs were amputated. It was not due to an accident. The skin of the legs was studiously removed. It was done on purpose,” she said. “Someone who did this took the legs. So, this reminds us of one thing that could be the cause of the attack: sorcery.”
Though it would be impossible to prove, the nature of what happened was unsettling to Pearl. “This isn’t just a random incident where someone beat a dog to death on the street,” she said. “It was very calculated.”
There was one further twist in the discovery of Zoe. Despite her horrific injuries, Zoe was somehow caring for a litter of puppies who were found in a nearby alleyway.
Pearl already had 11 rescue dogs, who she regularly shares videos of on TikTok under the handle @theunstoppabledog. However, there was something about Zoe’s care for her pups and “the power of motherhood” that made her determined to come to her rescue.
“Against all odds, she had all of her legs missing, was suffering, yet she never left her babies. She was doing everything she could, in that condition, to take care of them,” Pearl said. “She fought to stay alive, and she fought to take care of them.”
Zoe’s wounds eventually healed. Once she was feeling better, she headed off to the United States and a second chance at life.
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Pearl first learned about Zoe back in March. While it was decided that her puppies, once ready, would remain happy and safe in the care of the APF, it was clear Zoe’s needs were more complex and she would be better suited to a life with Pearl in California.
“If she stayed there, she wouldn’t be able to get the help or get her life back, because they just don’t have the resources to do what we can do here in terms of providing mobility devices and prosthetics,” she said.
Zoe’s rehabilitation was also supported by the 15/10 Foundation, an initiative focused on the sponsor of dogs unlikely to be adopted due to behavioral or medical issues. Pearl was told how, despite suffering so horrifically at the hands of humans, Zoe was a “kind and gentle” dog. “I just knew she had a greater purpose,” she said.
Pearl is in the process of obtaining funding for The Unstoppable Ranch in Huntington Beach, which she says will serve as a “space for disabled dogs to inspire others.” She said dogs like Zoe will serve as ambassadors who visitors can connect with and be inspired by their message that, whatever their own personal circumstances, “if you never give up, anything is possible.”
Zoe is starting to get to grips with walking on prosthetics. It’s given her a new lease on life.
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Zoe is living proof of that. Less than a year ago, she could barely walk, with every attempted step leaving her in excruciating pain. Now everything has changed.
“She’s already walking on four prosthetic legs,” Pearl said. “It was amazing. She got those legs on, and she knew that was her freedom, to walk pain free, and she did.”
Pearl has already seen proof of Zoe’s inspirational status in the responses she received to a TikTok video she posted to her account, @theunstoppabledogs, showcasing her incredible journey from Egypt to the United States. This is only the beginning.
“Her future holds all kinds of amazing things because of her resilience. She’s giving people hope,” Pearl said. “She’s an unstoppable force.”
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