tails from the heart by Debbie Pell
The Journey of Laila Ali I was ready to die. I was a 10-week-old Boxer pup weighing a mere three pounds. My hind leg was badly infected, I hadn’t eaten in days, and I was so weak from hunger I couldn’t lift my head. Just a few more days and I would be at peace, suffering no more.
inept, tripod Boxer pup could come into her own and reach for the stars. Enter the Kreem Family. The Kreems already owned a tripod, Liam (a Boxer/Pit Bull mix), and had recently lost their beloved Aussie, Apache. With a little trepidation and broken hearts, they opened their hearts and home to me. As my personality and health blossomed, their hearts began healing, for I live each and every second to the fullest!
But unbeknownst to me, my life was about to change. The backyard breeder who owned me either had a twinge of conscience or wanted me euthanized, for she took me to Quail Corners Animal Hospital. The veterinarian persuaded my breeder to surrender me to Wake County Animal Services (WCAS) and my journey began. Phones rang, emails flew, and within hours I traveled from WCAS to Cindy Moore of Rescue UR Forever Friend (formerly the dog division of Paw Prints Animal Rescue). Moore took me to Dr. Sandy Albright of Crossroads Veterinary Hospital. Dr. Albright began emergency treatment to save my leg and my life. For five days, I stayed at Dr. Albright’s home, struggling to survive; for five days, Dr. Albright fed me via tubes, bathed my infected leg, and willed me to live. As I fought the fight of a lifetime, I was given a name: Laila Ali, daughter of the greatest boxer in the world, Muhammad Ali! Just as he fought, so did I, with every bit of determination and energy my body possessed. Under Dr. Albright and her daughter Alex’s care, not only did I survive, I THRIVED!
Today, it’s time to fulfill my destiny and tell my story to help other animals. I travel all over North Carolina to share the need for Commercial Breeder Legislation. Voters demanding puppy mill laws will assure that other puppies receive medical care when needed, that mother dogs will no longer be bred to death, and that we will no longer have dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens crammed in fecesencrusted crates stacked one on top of another. We must simply stop this inhumane treatment of animals! Please help me fulfill my destiny—visit me at my Facebook page: h t t p s://w w w.f a c e b o o k . c o m/?r e f= l o g o #!/ p a g e s/L ail a - A li/ 328949623790653 to follow my journey and help me save others. ~ Laila Ali
Unfortunately, as I grew stronger, so did the infection in my leg. Eventually my leg had to be amputated. Leg eliminated, infection controlled, and my strength and spirit renewed, I was relocated to the foster home of Emilea Burton, North Carolina State University (NCSU) vet student. Burton loved me, tended my wound, and helped me realize that there are wonderful people in the world. With my recovery underway, I needed a permanent home, but not just any home. I needed a home where a socially 46 Volume 2 • Issue 3
T The Triangle Dog
Photo by Suzie Wolf Photography