You may have heard of Aadya – the 2 ½ year old starving pup who made headlines when she was found abandoned with a corn cob lodged in her intestine. Since her rescue, Aadya’s story has taken a bizarre twist, but she and her foster family have managed to take the bad and turn it into something good.
Good Samaritan Vincent Currie heard the cries of a dog coming from the alley behind his house in early October. He happened to find the abandoned dog as whoever dumped her drove away. She was starving, weak, and in desperate need of help. Vincent called a local rescue, Beauties and Beasts Inc., who quickly responded and sent someone to pick her up.
The staff at the shelter were shocked at her state. Her ribs were protruding from under her skin, which seemed stretched to its limit across her bones. She was given immediate veterinary care, and love from the shelter staff who named her Aadya, which means “first power” in Sanskrit.
Vincent was very cooperative. He gave a police report describing a van he saw dumping the dog in the alley behind his home and driving away. He spoke with local news, talking about the disgust he felt at the neglect she suffered, and giving his side of the story.
He told KAKE Wichita, “I could feel every single bone inside of her body. It was heartbreaking.”
The police asked for help finding the poor pup’s owner, but as authorities searched for them, their investigation led them back to the man who called her in. Vincent Currie, as it turned out, hadn’t just found Aayda as a van left her in the dust. He was the owner who neglected her. The supposed van, and everything else, he invented. He has since been charged with animal abuse and filing a false police report.
The heartbreaking and strange circumstances of how she was abandoned have brought a lot of attention to Aadya. Although her “Good Samaritan” didn’t turn out to be who he claimed to be, there are still several real heroes in her story.
While all of this was unfolding, Aadya was being cared for by the good people at Beauties and Beasts, Inc. They paid for her care at a local veterinary clinic, where they determined that she had been starved for weeks and surgery was done to remove a corncob found stuck in her intestine. Vet and shelter staff didn’t have much reason to believe she would recover, but they had hope.
Aadya pulled through surgery and was soon placed with an experienced foster family. Mark Walker and Jeff Mosch met Aadya in mid-October, and opened their home and their hearts to the frightened puppy. Aadya was weak and needed help learning to trust people, and has already come a long way in her time with her foster family!
Aadya wasn’t only starved for food, she was starved for affection as well, and now that she’s had a taste of it, she’s learned to love it!
Jeff Mosch tells iHeartDogs, “She is still fairly cautious/shy around people she doesn’t know, however, she is getting comfortable with them much quicker now.”
“She loves to cuddle and snuggle! Loud noises and thunder are things she doesn’t like. I’m working with her on some touch training because she would, at times, cower away from you with certain movements.”
Jeff and Mark’s two rescues, Riley and Kenya, have made her feel at home as well. Jeff says, “So far Aadya has fit right into the family without any issues… Both Aadya and Riley were playing a bit of fetch in the house the other day. It’s always great when we see all three of them on one of the two couches we have; all stacked up napping together.”
Jeff and Mark saw that there was a lot of interest in Aayda’s recovery, and started a Facebook group called Aadya’s Journey, so that others can watch Aayda as she heals and flourishes.
“Aadya’s Journey page just brought out the best parts of humanity in everyone. We’ve met new people/made new friends, people have donated clothing for her, brought by 100% all-natural, homemade treats, etc.”
Although they’re aware of the scandal in Aadya’s story, they’re determined to focus on the positive, and the people who really pulled through for her.
“If a rescue group had not stepped in to provide the financial backing for her treatment/surgery, she wouldn’t be here today,” Jeff says. “We are getting so much credit for her but we have the easy job; we just get to love her. Her heroes were her rescuer, Randi Carter; Dr. Alex Brooks-Schrauth and the staff at the Wichita Emergency and Specialty Hospital; the volunteer who drove 2.5 hours each way to get the IV nutrients; and all who contributed to funding her care.”
“After we had her for our first week, we posted before and after pictures of her progress along with a challenge for people to make a $5.00 donation to Beauties and Beasts rescue. The response was inspiring. People weren’t just giving $5.00, they were giving $5.00 for every member of their families, including their pets.”
Together with Aadya, they managed to raise over $4,000 for the rescue that saved her life. Although it’s sad that she endured what she did, they managed to take something bad and turn it into something good to help other pets in need.
“We have been both inspired and overwhelmed by the positive, kind and caring people who have joined her Journey page; all 3,400 of them,” says Jeff Mosch. “Everyone on Aadya’s page has been there for one reason: they were moved by the story of this amazing dog and wanted to share in her recovery journey.”
Aadya’s story isn’t over yet, but there’s hope that she will not only recover, she’ll thrive, and continue to raise awareness for rescues.
iHeartDogs asked Mr. Mosch if he thought that Aadya might be a “foster fail.” Jeff and Mark have thought about it, but also consider fostering a privilege they’re not sure they’re ready to give up.
“We haven’t made a decision there yet. We decided to contribute to Aadya’s expenses and foster her in memory of Kona, our 10.5-year-old Golden Retriever that we lost to cancer on September 19th.”
“We thought this was a good way to ‘pay it forward’ in memory of him. She has become very attached to us, and us to her, so it would be a difficult decision to adopt her out. If we did choose to adopt her, it would make it fairly difficult for us to foster any other dog as we would already have three.”
Whether they adopt Aadya or not, they’ve gone above and beyond as a foster family and have managed to help countless dogs by opening their doors to just this one.
You can follow Aadya’s Journey on Facebook to watch as Aadya continues to grow. Learn more about Beauties and Beasts Inc. and the work they do by visiting their website.
Update: Aadya has become a permanent member of Jeff and Mark’s family!
H/T: KAKE.com
All photos used with permission from Jeff Mosch/Aadya’s Journey
Toledo, United States.
