There’s a happy ending for Hope after all.
Beaten, tied to a tree or a beaver dam, or possibly thrown into a Kenora-area lake after her adopted home was burglarized earlier this year, the malamute-mix, whose life began on a Northern reserve, somehow survived her harrowing, life-threatening, three-day ordeal.
She lost 10 pounds and two teeth as a result.
Her story has been well-documented on Facebook, but until last Friday, no one had stepped forward with an offer to adopt the friendly five-year-old dog from Kenora’s non-profit Dog Fostering Network.
That’s where Laura Morine enters the tale.
She and her husband Randy – the couple has two daughters, 13-year-old Caroline and 10-year-old Merritt – heard about Hope’s plight through the Thunder Bay’s Local Dog Rescue, as Laura looked to find a companion for her recently widowed father.
“We found out this dog was tortured, needed a home and couldn’t find the right home because of her issues and we just fell in love with her, her face, her pictures and the story of her. Her name is hope and we thought what more fitting name than that.”
Cliff wasn’t as easily convinced.
He told Laura he didn’t want another dog. One look was all it took to fall in love with Hope.
“It was overwhelming when you saw the pictures. I kept saying I’m not having another dog, because I had one for 15 years. Then they started pushing and putting the pressure on me. Finally when I saw the pictures I was like, ‘OK,’ we’ll go for it.”
It was her face that made him cave.
“It’s just a gorgeous face. And she was about the right size. I’m a big dog lover.”
Hope, who greets visitors by jumping up and hugging them with her front two paws, immediately fit in with the two families. They’ve already set up dog run between the two yards, and both Caroline and Merritt can’t wait to take her outside to play when they get home from school.
Hope's story touched Cliff’s heart.
“I cried,” he admitted. “Even thinking about it now I get choked up very easily. It’s tough when you hear that an animal had to go through that. And to come out alive, it’s very touching,” he said.
Thirteen-year-old Caroline Morine said she’s always wanted a dog and Hope is everything she dreamed about – and more.
“It’s amazing having Hope with me. She always follows me around, same with my sister. And I love playing with her outside. It’s fun running with her because I’m a fast runner and so we try to beat each other and stuff,” she said.
Caroline can’t believe anyone would put a dog through the things Hope had to endure.
“The story is devastating. I don’t like how people can treat animals like that and I want to make Hope’s life better for her,” she said.
The news has gone over well with her Facebook community, which has stretched from coast to coast.
“Hope has been blessed,” writes Jeanie Leroux. "Thanks so much for reaching out to this beautiful girls. She couldn’t be in a better home."
Laura Morine said she’s hopeful by sharing their story that other seeking pets will give the Local Dog Rescue a try, instead of resorting to puppy mills.
