If you don’t live anywhere near Fort Worth, Texas, you might not be aware of an infamous dumping ground called Echo Lake Park where animals are left to die, if they aren’t already dead. Few people are prepared to forge through the park on a regular basis to save any dogs that are barely hanging on, but that’s exactly what Judy Obregon, founder of The Abandoned Ones (TAO), does.
TAO is a rescue organization that takes in abandoned dogs in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, but their focus is on pulling dogs from Echo Lake Park because it’s in a bad neighborhood where dogs, wild animals, and livestock are often left. The park is in an area where dog-fighting is common, so many of the dogs exhibit signs of having been a “bait dog,” while others look like they have been tortured or neglected.
When Obregon, who is known as the “dog lady,” was moving through the park one day looking for dogs, she approached one that looked like he was already dead. Since Obregon investigates every single animal she encounters, no matter the species or whether or not they’re alive, she got closer and saw something that was both relieving and pushed her into action mode: the dog breathed.
Like many times in the past, Obregon rushed to get the dog in her car and practically flew to the vet, which is an excruciating 30 minutes away. Upon arrival, and based on what Obregon saw in the surrounding area prior to leaving the park, the vets believed that the abandoned dog had been poisoned by the contents of nearby bags. He had been seen two weeks prior going towards the park and was referred to as “the dog with the blue collar,” but by the time Obregon found him he had become a victim of the cruel people that drop dogs off at Echo Lake park.
They named the dog Blue and remarked that he was lucky to be alive because Obregon had brought him in just in time. Though he was initially very weak, he slowly regained his strength and began eating and drinking water. When Obregon visited, she even took him out for a short stroll, where he was curious enough to sniff around.
There are other small victories as well, like the fact that he’s heartworm negative and is now out of the woods with his poison diagnosis. He’s still at the vet awaiting for other procedures, like getting neutered, but he’s available for foster and then adoption once he’s been released.
It’s so sad to think about the slow death that Blue was enduring before he was found by rescuer Judy Obregon, but he’s so lucky that she found him in the nick of time. If you would like to donate to The Abandoned Ones, you can do so here.
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