Emma Roo was just a tiny Dalmatian puppy when her owner abandoned her for a minor physical defect on her toe. And just like that, she ended up with dog meat traders in China. By the time she was 8 weeks old, the slaughterhouse men cropped her ears, tail and front legs. They were just about to butcher her when a rescue group stepped in and whisked her away.
Emma was in traumatizing agony as her front legs had been chopped off without anesthesia. It’s a vile local practice to make dogs feel the “pain” during slaughter, as the resulting “adrenaline makes the meat more tender”.
While Emma gradually recovered from the meat market experience, the rescuers knew no one would adopt a 2-legged dog in China. That’s when they reached out to Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida and requested them to help this poor girl.
After some struggle, Emma was finally set to travel overseas with a new hope for life. She arrived in the US just before international travel was halted following the coronavirus pandemic. Lucky girl!
Within days of her arrival, Emma found her forever home with South Carolina resident Misha Rackcliff Hunt. For Misha, Emma was just like a kindred spirit she was meant to find. So while the abused pup would be scared and skittish with everyone, she felt right at home with her new mom!
Misha noticed that Emma would scream endlessly and have a panic attack every time she was around men, which was just because they reminded her of the slaughterhouse workers. To ease her fears, Misha engaged a male doggie therapist who helped Emma be comfortable with every human!
It took some time, but Emma has finally blossomed into a friendly and adventurous pooch. With regular therapy, her limbs have grown strong and flexible and she can comfortably use a wheelchair now!
