Watching Bryn roll around in the grass in the garden, it's hard to believe that this joyful dog's life was nearly ended at the hands of her former owner.
The pitbull-Mastiff-mix suffered brain damage and broken teeth when she beaten with a baseball bat in Victoria in 2014. The blunt force trauma fractured both her front legs.
To make matters worse, Bryn's owners did not seek vet treatment, and she was only rushed to the Victoria BC SPCA after the agency learned about her injuries the following day. A cruelty investigation was launched straight away, and vet bills to treat the ailing dog quickly exceeded $5,000.
Bryn's injuries were so bad that the large-breed dog could not stand on her own for several weeks.
The pup was moved into emergency foster care at a local home. The couple who took her in, who asked not to be identified for the safety of their dog and neighbouhood, say Bryn was so withdrawn it was nearly impossible to get her to eat or drink anything.
She had to be hand fed with a syringe, and a special harness was needed to get her up and down stairs while her broken legs healed.
Despite the exhaustive hands-on care, the couple quickly fell in love with the "sweet, gentle and affectionate" dog and made the decision to adopt her permanently.
Now known as Miss Bryn (because she's a princess), the pup slowly came out of her shell and now is quite outgoing and completely devoted to her new "dad."
She now spends her days in their fenced backyard, staring at the goldfish in the pond, sunbathing and doing "rollovers" in the grass. She loves eating watermelon and her comfy bed in the living room, where she can be near her family.
"Maybe it was the trauma, but Bryn has never learned to play and toys are not her thing," her new owner reports.
"She loves her walks, more with my partner as they chat up the neighbourhood. Everyone loves her."
As her age creeps up, arthritis has set in and Bryn gets treated to massage therapy for her creaky shoulders.
"Those creaking bones are there, just like the rest of us," her new owner said.
Bryn's former owners were criminally charged with animal cruelty following the BC SPCA investigation.
Although Colwood resident Joseph White testified in court that he was acting in self-defense, the judge disagreed and said he could find no "justifiable reason" for the brutal assault on his family pet.
White was sentenced to six months in jail for the attack along with a prohibition on owning animals for 10 years.
The BC SPCA's Lorie Chortyk said seeing an abused dog like Bryn make such a “wonderful” recovery is heartwarming for the animal welfare agency.
"It is always so rewarding to see a once frightened and fragile animal grow so strong and happy when they are surrounded by love," she said.
All this week, CTV Vancouver is highlighting success stories of the BC SPCA in advance of Paws for a Cause. Click here to learn more.
