She Takes One Look at Abused Dog's Funny Face and Immediately Says 'I Want Him'
When Jamie Hulit, 47, first laid eyes on an adorable yellow Labrador named Lucky a year ago, it was love at first sight.
The dog certainly had a unique look: His eyes were close set and he had a sunken cranium as a result of being crowded by his siblings in their mother’s womb.
“I called my friend and said, ‘I want that dog. I don’t even want to foster him. I want him,'” she explained.
The dog’s owners were giving him away, so a few days later, Jaime was on her way to pick him up.
But when she arrived at the home, she was horrified by what she saw. The 6-year-old dog had been severely neglected, barely skin and bones at just 42 lbs. He’d been living in the backyard of the home for over five years with no bed and no shelter from the harsh Texas heat.
The dog was blind in one eye but had no mental complications. Sadly, many couldn’t see how special he was past his smooshed appearance, which made it difficult for breeders to sell him to those looking for purebred Labs. He was eventually given away for free to the couple who neglected him.
Jaime immediately took the dog home with her to give him a life he truly deserved. She gave him a “new life name” as she does for each of her animals, calling him Beaux Tox “since his face looks like he needs Botox.”
After the rescue, Jaime took Beaux to the vet for an evaluation. Unfortunately, he had been so severely neglected that he had an extreme case of heartworm, ear mites and fleas.
Due to the ear mites, Beaux lost hearing in one ear, and the heartworm was so severe it wasn’t likely he’d survive.
Although the prognosis was grim, Jaime knew she had to fight for her special new dog. “I said I would feel horrible if we did not attempt to give him a life and whatever it takes; let’s do it,” she said.
Because heartworm can cause issues with lung function, Beaux was on oxygen for a month and was so sick he couldn’t start heartworm treatment.
At one point, things looked so dire that Jaime was called to the vet in the middle of the night to say goodbye to Beaux. But Beaux had just a little more fight left in him.
Three months later, he was 108 lbs and had gained enough weight to start the treatment. By October 2017, he was 100% heartworm negative. The fleas and ear mites were gone as well, making Beaux a perfectly healthy pup at last.
Jaime reports that the “100 percent goober” is the happiest dog around, even when it comes to going to the vet. He loves his new fur siblings, and is adjusting well to life with a family that loves him. “The only thing he’ll get sad about is if he doesn’t get belly rubs on demand,” Jaime said.
Beaux is frequently seen around town sporting custom made “Beaux ties” to let others know he is a fun-loving, friendly guy. He has recently joined social media with his own Instagram account, and with over 2,000 followers so far, it’s clear the world can see just how beautiful he his — inside and out.
Jaime and Beaux both hope that their story can spread awareness about heartworm, as well as about adopting pets with special needs.
“In addition to spreading the message of heartworm prevention, they are working to help other animals get placed in loving homes — especially those who may be difficult to adopt or overlooked because of special needs,” their GoFundMe page reads.
“He doesn’t know he’s deformed,” Jaime said. “He thinks he’s the most handsome thing there ever was and we just let him think that.”
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