I have written many stories about desperate abandoned dogs and their struggles, but Maeve’s heartbreaking story is the one I think I will never be able to forget.
A heartless person dumped the pup who deserved happiness like all other dogs on the streets of Youngstown.
Without having any other choice, a sad black doggo wandered the area, trying to find morsels of food in order to satisfy her hunger.
Sadly, at some point, Maeve was hit by a car and didn’t receive help.
Although she was emaciated and severely injured, Maeve decided not to trust humans anymore. They failed her and hurt her far too many times.
Finding Peace
When Deputy Keith Stokes of the Mahoning County Dog Warden heard of the scared dog, he tried to capture her multiple times, but Maeve refused to trust him.
“…He had tried repeatedly, but she would never let him get close to her,” Megan Zarlenga of the Mahoning County Dog Warden told The Dodo.
The injured pup continued running away from everyone until a week later, when she met police officer Megan Feidler.
Feidler was sad to see Maeve in such a terrible state. She was merely skin and bones, and she was limping.
Shortly afterward, Deputy Stokes arrived at the scene. He and police officer Feidler cornered the dog.
Since Stokes noticed that Maeve was afraid of him, he let Feidler take over.
The kind police officer sat on the ground and began talking to Maeve, trying to make her feel at ease.
The frightened dog looked at Feidler with soulful eyes, trying to determine whether she could trust her. After a while, Maeve decided to put her faith in her.
“I felt so sad for her. She was obviously scared and very skinny. Eventually, she laid down next to me, and I’m just talking to her and petting her, letting her know it’s OK,” Feidler told The Dodo.
Stokes gave Feidler a leash, and she slipped it over Maeve’s neck.
The doggo was carried to the van. Feeling exhausted, the doggo lay down and closed her eyes.
Maeve’s Fight
Friends of Fido Animal Rescue, a non-profit organization located in Youngstown, took Maeve under their care and rushed her to the vet where she was examined.
Unfortunately, Maeve was quite serious. Along with severe malnutrition, she had several broken bones in her pelvis and injuries to her lungs.
Both the vets and Maeve’s friends were even more concerned about her because she refused to eat and drink.
The vet team started giving her IV fluids. Since she had labored breathing, the doggo was put on oxygen.
Everyone hoped that Maeve would soon start eating on her own and that her lungs would heal.
While the vet team relentlessly fought for the pup’s recovery, her friends stayed by her side. They cuddled Maeve, encouraging her to continue fighting.
“We need her to feel good again. We need her to know that she is loved more than she can imagine…more than she ever has been,” the shelter wrote on Facebook.
Despite the vets’ efforts, the pup was getting weaker and weaker.
Sadly, after days of fighting to survive, Maeve crossed the rainbow bridge, leaving her caretakers heartbroken. The pup left this world knowing that she was loved. She is now in doggy heaven where there is no pain or fear.
Many thanks to both Maeve’s rescuers and her devoted friends who fought with her until the end.