Dear John,

You may have heard about my dog Beatrice and her sad beginnings at the ASPCA. It’s hard for me to look at the photos of Beatrice on the day she was found. She looked like a skeleton. She smelled like urine. She had diarrhea and skin issues. My poor sweet girl was a mess.

And that’s why I’m so incredibly grateful to YOU for your support, and everyone at the ASPCA for everything they did to help her and all that they do for animals like her. Beatrice was given IV fluids, vitamin therapy and put on a slow refeeding diet to help her get back to good health at the right pace. After two months, Beatrice gained more than half her body weight, but ASPCA staff members soon realized that she was showing some signs of stress in the shelter setting.

That’s where I came into her life.

As a student and part-time nanny, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for the commitment of owning a dog, so I was excited to be a foster caregiver. Meeting Beatrice was love at first sight, and in our time together she blossomed and showed me just how special she really was. She even learned how to sit, lie down and give her paw! After fostering her for six months, I realized that I wasn’t ready to let her go … and I knew that she and I belonged together forever.

I adopted my sweet Beatrice, and she’s been by my side ever since! Fostering Beatrice was such an important step for both of us, and it showed me how important foster caregivers can be in a rescued animal’s journey. I’m so grateful to everyone at the ASPCA for saving the life of my best friend. And I’m equally grateful to people like you who help give animals like Beatrice the second chances they deserve.

 
P.S. I’m thrilled to share that with the ASPCA’s assistance, Beatrice’s prior owner was arrested, and the case is currently pending in criminal court.