There’s nothing more uplifting than a dog rescue story that ends well. Though it’s upsetting to imagine what the pup had to go through, knowing that they’re now happy and living life to the full is reassuring.

We’re fortunate that our world is bursting with animal lovers, all of whom make it their mission to look out for potentially injured, nervous and weak abandoned animals.

A team of volunteers for Eco Exist, who were working on a project in the northern Okavango region in remote Botswana, had their own story of heroism to share.

Judging by the goals of the volunteers’ project – to help elephants and people to co-exist without conflict – it’s clear that this group of people have an appreciation for wildlife. So when they stumbled across a stray dog on their camp, they didn’t hesitate to take action.

The puppy in question was in a bad way. She was paralysed, and had to drag her back legs along using the strength of her front paws.

After spotting the team of volunteers, the pup, christened Poppy by the group, bravely made her way over to them in search of help. She was tired, hungry, and in need of medical attention.

With her being in such a vulnerable state, the Eco Exist volunteers were surprised that Poppy had managed to survive in Botswana, a rural region that is known for its deadly predators. It’s not unusual to come across one of the Big Five – the lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino and buffalo – in the remotest areas of the country.

Speaking out about their reaction to the puppy, one of the volunteers, Susanne Vogel, said: “She came crawling — literally crawling because her back legs were completely immobilized — into our research camp. She was unable to walk, but full of love and seeking help.”

We can definitely see the love in this pup’s sad, round eyes. Nobody could possibly resist her – including Susanne and her team. They knew they had to get help for the pup, and fast.

Before taking Poppy to the vets, the volunteers assessed her injuries. Judging by her lower-body paralysis, they deemed that she must have been in some sort of accident. They cleaned her carefully, gave her some food, and took her for a proper examination.

Poppy must have been in a lot of pain, but the brave pup had a big smile on her face. She was most likely over-the-moon to finally find some kind, caring humans to look after her.

As it stood, the volunteers were uncertain whether Poppy would survive her ordeal. The vets estimated that her odds of making it through the next few days were low. But Poppy surprised them all.

She fought, and she came out stronger on the other side.

Poppy began rehabilitation, with the aim of strengthening her back legs.

Her faithful new owners – the group of volunteers – supported her in every step of her journey, raising $10,000 to make her recovery possible.

Poppy’s legs still didn’t work very well, but she was given a fancy dog wheelchair to use, which she soon took to. And then, to top things off, Poppy was adopted!

It’s unknown how Poppy came to be abandoned in the middle of rural Botswana, but it was certainly her lucky day when she came across her unassuming rescuers. Thanks to her bravery in approaching the volunteers, she’s been given a new lease of life.

Poppy is now living with MaryBeth Hastings from Washington, D.C, who brought her all the way back to the States to look after her full-time. We hope that Poppy enjoys a life of happiness, cuddles, and plenty of tasty treats going forward.

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Source: Animal Channel, Honest to Paws, Eco Exist, Poppy the Puppy who Stole Our Hearts