When Squishy was first spotted on the beach on the island of Saipan, she was absolutely terrified. She was in terrible condition and would snap at anyone who came even remotely near her. People watching on the beach knew she needed help, so they contacted Boonie Babies Rescue.
“[I] got to the beach in about five minutes because it was extremely close to my house,” Aria Keilbach, founder of Boonie Babies Rescue, told The Dodo. “Squishy was weak and exhausted from the heat and dehydration. She had a collar on, and this beach is quite notorious for dumping animals, so although I would guess she was only dumped there that day or a day or two before, it was clear from her malnourishment, tick disease and mange that she had not been adequately cared for for weeks.”
Squishy continued to bark and snap at Keilbach and her volunteers, but she was so weak that she wasn’t hard to catch. Keilbach used a towel to secure her and quickly brought her to safety. After everything she’d been through, Squishy was understandably scared, but it didn’t take her long to realize that she was finally safe with people who would care for her the way she deserved.
“Just a few hours after I brought her home, she realized we were not going to hurt her and stopped growling when we approached and instead began offering little tail wags,” Keilbach said. “By that same night, she was hesitantly accepting pets and giving kisses.”
As time went on, Squishy healed in leaps and bounds. Her fur grew back, and her rescuers managed to get the rest of her ailments under control, too, and she finally learned how to fully trust people again. Now, she’s completely unrecognizable from the day she was rescued on the beach because she’s essentially a completely different dog.
“As amazing as her physical transformation has been, her personality blooming has been equally if not even more impressive,” Keilbach said. “Squishy is confident, incredibly sweet, smart and extremely eager to learn. She loves to go on adventures and play with other dogs, but her absolute favorite activity is working for treats!”
Usually, Keilbach rescues dogs and then helps them find homes — but after watching Squishy’s incredible transformation, she knew there was no way she’d be able to part with her.
“I have rescued, rehabilitated and adopted out over 300 dogs in my time here on Saipan, but have never fallen so in love with a dog more than I have with Squishy,” Keilbach said. “I have decided I will not be able to give up this special girl and she will stay with me as a permanent member of the Boonie Babies team.”
When Squishy was first spotted on the beach, she was utterly defeated. Today, she’s happy, loved and living out her fairytale ending.
