Some dogs long for a new chance, but it never comes their way. Instead of living freely, they are confined in tiny enclosures, never knowing what lies beyond those four walls.
Truly heartbreaking!
Bertha, a seven-year-old Mastiff, faced a similar experience. Fortunately, she was rescued in the autumn of her life, only to learn there’s more to life than a cage. And, she couldn’t be happier!
Bertha’s Heartbreaking Backstory
Thanks to Border Tails Rescue in Northbrook, Illinois, Bertha got her second chance at life. The team admitted her to their facility after she had been used for breeding in a puppy mill.
After serving her purpose and being locked in a cage, Bertha was heartlessly discarded when she no longer could ‘produce puppies.’
“Bertha’s story is heartbreaking. She spent her entire life in a cage as a breeding dog in a puppy mill—litter after litter, no love, no freedom. When she was no longer “useful,” they tossed her aside. Just discarded,” Noxon and Masloski wrote on Instagram.
Sadly, her misery continued in the Illinois shelter. This 170-pound pup was constantly overlooked by people as she wasn’t exactly “adoption material.”
Bertha was a large dog and didn’t get along with other animals, which made her undesirable.
The only visits she received over nine months were from Joey Masloski and Eric Noxon, content creators from Chicago, Illinois. The duo behind a popular Instagram account called Eric & Joey visited Bertha several times, showing to the world her incredibly sweet nature.
In one of their videos, they presented Bertha’s heartbreaking story, which immediately went viral, breaking the hearts of people all over the world.
Bertha, who craved nothing but love and affection from people, was unable to find her forever home.
However, with the help of her two newest hooman buddies, her luck was soon about to change!
33-Hour Journey To A New Home
Bertha’s past hadn’t been easy, but all that soon faded away when she realized she was being adopted into a loving home. Thanks to Eric and Joey, her story soon spread among compassionate dog lovers, only to reach her new mom from Oregon.
She contacted Bertha’s rescuers, saying she would love nothing more but to adopt Bertha. The only problem was – she was a 33-hour drive away from the Illinois shelter.
Realizing this could be a once-in-a-lifetime shot at happiness for this Mastiff girl, Eric and Joey once again showed their true brilliance. They agreed to drive her to Oregon to her new momma personally, making it a lifetime adventure for all three of them.
But, that wasn’t about it! Before their trip, Bertha’s rescue decided to throw her a heartwarming goodbye party.
“We are so grateful Bertha gets this second chance, and while we’ll miss her terribly, we know her best days are ahead,” the Illinois rescue wrote in a Facebook post.
She was kissed goodbye by every single volunteer, treated with delicious snacks and a cake, and given the most emotional send-off to a new home.
Once again, the shelter thanked Eric and Joey, who did a remarkable job finding Bertha her new home.
“Thank you Eric & Joey for helping the world see what we’ve known all along — Bertha is truly one of a kind. Safe travels, sweet girl — Oregon is lucky to have you,” the rescue added.
After all the years of sorrow and sleepless nights in a cage, Bertha can’t wait to start a brand-new adventure – right next to her new mom!
Happy life, sweet girl!