Squishy was in a state of complete and utter terror when she was discovered on the shore of the island of Saipan for the first time. She was in awful shape and would lash out at everyone who came within a mile or two of her, even if they were only walking by. The people who were observing her on the beach saw that she needed assistance, so they got in touch with Boonie Babies Rescue.
According to Aria Keilbach, founder of Boonie Babies Rescue, who spoke with The Dodo about her experience, “[I] went to the beach in about five minutes since it was quite near to my home.” “Squishy had a hard time keeping her strength up because of the heat and she was dehydrated. Although I would guess that she was only dumped there that day or a day or two before, it was clear from her malnourishment, tick disease, and management that she had not adequately cared for weeks.”
Squishy continued to growl and snap at Keilbach and the volunteers she had recruited, but she was in such poor condition that catching her was not difficult. Keilbach promptly moved her to a safe location after securing her with a towel and doing so fast. Squishy was naturally terrified after everything that she had been through; yet, it didn’t take her long to realize that she was finally secure with someone who would care for her the way that she deserved to be cared for.
“Just a few hours after I took her home, she learned we were not going to injure her and stopped snarling when we approached. Instead, she started providing small tail wags,” Keilbach said. “I brought her home because I wanted her to have a safe place to live.” “By the next night, she was tentatively accepting petting and offering kisses,” the author writes.
Squishy made remarkable progress in terms of her recovery as time went on. Her fur started to grow back, and her rescuers were able to bring the rest of her diseases under control as well. Eventually, she was able to completely trust humans once again after making this progress. Because she is effectively a whole new dog at this point, she is almost unrecognizable in comparison to how she appeared on the beach the day that she was saved.
“Her personality blossoming has been just as astonishing as, if not even more so than, her physical metamorphosis,” Keilbach said. “As spectacular as her physical development has been.” “Squishy is self-assured, immensely kind, bright, and really eager to acquire new knowledge. She enjoys going on new experiences and romping about with other canines, but her absolute favorite thing to do is earn rewards via hard work!
After observing Squishy’s miraculous metamorphosis, Keilbach realized there was no way she’d be able to part with her. Typically, she rescues dogs and then helps them find homes, but she knew there was no way she’d be able to do that with Squishy.
“I have rescued, rehabilitated, and adopted out over 300 dogs in my time here on Saipan, but I have never been so in love with a dog more than I have with Squishy,” Keilbach said. “Squishy is the puppy that has made me fall in love with dogs in a way that I never thought possible.” I have come to the conclusion that I will not be able to let go of this very unique child, and so, she will continue to be a part of the Boonie Babies squad indefinitely.
Squishy was in a state of complete and total defeat when she was discovered on the beach for the first time. She is now happy, loved, and is really living out her own personal fairytale.