maggiethewunderdog/InstagramA miracle dog who survived being shot 17 times has defied odds to become a registered therapy dog and ‘Instagram star’.
Maggie was found in Lebanon with 17 bullet wounds, her eyes shot out, her ear cut off and a broken jaw.
The 5-year-old pooch was also pregnant when she was discovered abandoned and tied to a box.
Last year, Maggie’s luck changed after she was rescued by animal charity, Wild At Heart.
After hearing Maggie’s horrific story, Kasey, a dog-lover from Brighton, decided to adopt the abandoned animal and offer it a better life.
Speaking to The Argus in May, Kasey explains:
This person in Lebanon posted asking for help and a woman in London saw the post and got help.
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.
After a six month online campaign, Kasey was able to organise Maggie’s removal from Lebanon.
Life for Maggie is considerably different in Brighton, reports BBC Online. Today, Maggie, or ‘Maggie the Wunderdog’, is inspiring animal lovers online.
She has more than 80,000 followers on Instagram and has become a registered therapy dog, visiting care homes, hospitals and universities to spread positivity.
Taking to Instagram, Kasey wrote:
Yesterday me and Maggie went to meet with her assessor, @maherandhounddogtraining she flaunted her stuff and gave it her best go and she PASSED. Maggie is now a registered therapy dog with @underdog_international.
The proud pooch parent continued:
She and I will speak to schools and work hands-on with youngsters. I know what happened to Maggie was horrendous but if her story can educate and inspire others to do good then at least we can do our part to make this world a little brighter.
Despite Maggie’s horrifying ordeal, Kasey insists she’s a ‘normal dog’ with an ‘infectious spirit’.
Having never ‘met a dog like Maggie’, Kasey continued:
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.
Maggie’s story has captured the hearts of people across the UK and both Kasey and Maggie work full-time offering help to others both online and in person.
Speaking to The Argus, Kasey added:
She’s got a great life and she wants so much out of it… I just want people to see that she’s living life.
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L’Oréal Blackett is a freelance journalist, broadcaster, and presenter with a lot of hair and a lot to say. A former digital magazine editor covering women’s issues and local news, she now works for a range of media publications including BBC Radio Manchester, Bumble and of course, UNILAD.