The reason this dog is in a lavender-infused bath will break your heart
Picture this: A little dog enjoying a nice warm lavender-infused bath and being fed treats at the same time. No, despite what it sounds like, Rudy is not enjoying a spa treatment.
This type of bath, which heals and soothes skin, is “a medical necessity,” says Courtney Bellew, director of the Northeast chapter of Special Needs Animal Rescue Rehabilitation (SNARR), a group that cares for animals who are in really tough shape.
“Rudy absolutely loves his tubby time and clearly the attention that comes along with it. He loves getting spoiled and pampered,” Bellew says.
Last November, he was brought to a New York City shelter, emaciated and nearly hairless. He was covered in dirt. He had wounds all over his body that Bellew surmises might have been the result of battery acid, and a broken front leg. And emotionally, Rudy wasn't in great shape, either.
“He ducked his head in fear whenever I would go to touch him, but was so grateful I was there and showing him a kind hand,” says Bellew.
Rudy is now on his way to a happy future, and those glorious baths – full of herbs and salts and other soothing agents – are helping get him there.
“Rudy’s eyes are filled with love and hope and he has a way of grabbing your heart instantly when he looks at you. He has always appreciated being doted on and still does today, as you saw with his spa treatments,” says Bellew. “I’m just so glad we are able to show him a good life."