Any smiling face is a beautiful face. That’s a fact.
But, some people don’t know that facts are facts and they shouldn’t be questioned.
When Zipper, the dog, was found on the streets, she was immediately categorized as an unwanted dog… all because of her unusual appearance.
No, this poor girl didn’t have a third eye growing on her forehead.
Neither did she have two tails wagging on her behind.
All Zipper had was a quirky smile that gave her a rather unique look.
Still, that radiant smile managed to shine through and find its way to the hearts of good people.
This is a story about how unconventional beauty won the race.
This is Zipper’s story.
The Smile That Could Move The Mountains
The truth is ugly: dogs with unusual looks that end up in shelters often stay there because it’s super hard to find someone to give them a home.
Sadly, people usually go after dogs that look nice, have pleasant personalities, or are specimens of certain popular breeds.
What about those that stay behind?
What about those poor souls that have so little chance of getting a happy ending all because not everyone sees their beauty?
Zipper was one of those dogs.
She was found on the streets and brought back to the shelter. The sweet and friendly girl was examined and it turned out that everything was fine with her, except for one thing: her jaw.
Zipper was found with a deformed jaw. No one was sure what happened to this stray girl. Her underbite was really big and all her teeth were spread very far apart. It appeared as if her teeth didn’t grow out properly… as if every other tooth grew.
Further examination of Zipper proved that this girl had been through a lot. She was clearly an outside dog her entire life. Flea infestations surely left a mark on her tortured body, and so did many litters of puppies.
The shelter staff assumed she was dumped on the streets after not being able to carry out more litters of puppies. Zipper was a breeding stock, never being properly cared for and always neglected… always pushed to the side.
She had no bright future.
She had no idea that life could be beautiful.
Finally, Life Has Started
Everything changed for Zipper when she became a part of Callie’s Place. This small animal welfare organization from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has been saving dogs in need for many years now. And, Zipper was one of those dogs.
She arrived in Tuscaloosa feeling absolutely terrified of what would happen to her next. Little did she know that Callie’s Place would be the place where she’d finally open up to hoomans and give them her trust.
Little by little, Zipper, now renamed Petra, got warmed up to the idea of being taken care of. She started going on walkies with Callie’s staff, asking for treats and pets, and rewarding them with her radiant smile.
Everyone was so crazy about this special girl.
Soon upon her arrival, the good people of Callie’s Place had her checked and decided to spay her. However, in addition, Petra went through an operation… one that removed her mammary tumors.
With a significant change of her diet, Petra’s recovery was a success and this lucky girl was finally able to breathe deep and inhale life.
627 Days Later
627 days…
That’s how long Petra stayed at Callie’s Place. Her Tuscaloosa haven was exchanged for another haven… doggy Heaven.
The official statement on Callie’s Facebook page informed us that Petra crossed the bridge:
“Petra has been declining for months as cancer took its toll but up until Sunday our sweet strong stubborn no nonsense girl seemed to hold it at bay. Although we saw it physically withering her away up until Sunday it mentally did not have its hold. Even Saturday Petra was following me, eating Milk Bones and harassing me for meals .. life as we knew it and had become comfortable with. But late Sunday afternoon she started to stumble more as she walked and her appetite waned. My brain started to process this but my heart did not … I kept expecting her to rebound as she has time and time again but this time it was not possible. This time Petra just didn’t “get up”.
Petra loved her life with Callie’s company. She wasn’t one of those overly affectionate dogs, but she surely knew how to show her appreciation.
627 days may not be enough for us, but it was enough for Petra to show her that not all humans are the same, and to prove to her that life can be beautiful if you have someone to show you all that beauty.
I know that anytime the sun shines through the clouds, Callie and the rest of her buddies think of Petra. It was her quirky smile that made everyone feel like they’d been covered in sunshine.
