“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” — Carl Jung
Maggie the five-year-old dog has been through what most of us wouldn’t be able endure, but just like the saying above she didn’t let what happened, define her.
She was found in Lebanon tied to a box, both her eyes shot out, her right ear cut off, her jar broken, and her body littered with gunshot wounds. It was believed that the poor pup – who was also pregnant at the time she was found – was shot at 17 times before being dumped in the streets.
But miraculously, despite all these horrific and life-threatening injuries, Maggie’s body didn’t succumb to the pain – she survived through it all.
Fortunately, Maggie’s story doesn’t just end there. Six months after an online campaign to get her out of the Middle East was started, she was eventually adopted by a 25-year-old animal lover from Brighton, United Kingdom named Kasey Carlin.
Kasey learned about Maggie’s one-of-a-kind story through the animal charity Wild At Heart Foundation. She immediately knew that she wanted to take the future therapy dog home.
“This person in Lebanon posted asking for help and a woman in London saw the post and got help,” she told The Argus.
Wild At Heart said they would take her in, even though it’s quite hard to get pets out of Lebanon. “My mum saw Maggie’s post and said we had to foster her. I got home and saw the picture and agreed.”
Maggie underwent surgery before going home, and her eyes were sewn shut to prevent further damage.
Having gotten the chance to have a better life, Maggie is now thriving. The dog tours hospitals, care homes, and universities with the aim to help others heal and provide care.
The dog even passed the necessary exams to become a therapy dog and now, she is officially one with Underdog International!
Maggie’s amazing story has inspired many people from all over the world, and her Instagram boasts of 400,000 followers!
Kasey said that she often gets asked questions about why Maggie has not been put down, while some question her quality of life. But once people met her in the flesh and saw her live her live life to the fullest, their opinions suddenly change.
“She’s just brilliant. She’s so energetic and bubbly. She walks off the lead and follows me around. She must have been in agony with all she’s been through, but she never hurt anyone and she’s so loving,” Kasey said.
Maggie’s story just proves that no matter what our past experiences may be, it need not define us as long as we choose for it not to. And if you can’t get enough of Maggie’s triumphant journey, be sure to order his book which will be coming out this June. Order it HERE.
A big thanks to Kasey and her family for giving Maggie a chance to have a normal life. Without them, this therapy pup wouldn’t be inspiring people from all over the world with her bravery and spirit!
If you want to follow Maggie’s adventure please follow her Instagram page.