AIKEN, South Carolina (WJBF) – “He was a down and out dog. He came in as a stray. His eye was injured and had to be removed. He had heartworms and demodectic mange,” said Jennifer Miller, President of the animal rescue group Friends Of The (Aiken County) Animal Shelter (FOTAS).
She listed the proverbial “three strikes” against Wink, whose day to be euthanized had already been scheduled before Miller’s group stepped in and provided medical treatment and fostering. It also posted Wink’s story on Facebook. It was that post that caught the eye of Darcy Creech in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
“One morning I saw Wink. He had one eye and I was like ‘He is so adorable'”, Creech said.
Creech also says she saw a little of herself in Wink. Creech went from living “hand to mouth” to becoming a successful businesswoman who now spends her time giving back.
“Sayeth the Lord, things can change. So I think (Wink) is a beacon of hope that things aren’t always the way they seem,” Creech said.
And that’s what brought Darcy Creech the more than 1,000 miles from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts to Aiken, South Carolina. Now Wink, once hours from death, is about to start a brand new life.
“He’s going to be spoiled,” said Creech. “Lots of attention. Lots of love. I’m really excited about it.”
“He’s going to a fairy land,” said Miller. “I don’t think this dog is ever going to want again.”
But while Wink’s story already has a happy ending, others are not as fortunate.
Katie is two-and-a-half, housebroken, described as “very quiet and very sweet”. FOTAS officials say Katie was picked up as a stray after being dumped by someone and has spent “far too long” at the shelter.
Despite being great with kids and comfortable on a leash, she is yet to be adopted and is in “desperate need of a forever home”, according to shelter officials.
FOTAS is volunteering to pay for all of Katie’s fees if the right home is found. She is currently at the Aiken County Animal Shelter on Wire Road in Aiken. For more information, call (803) 642-1537.