It’s unimaginable to us that anyone could abandon a five-week-old puppy on Christmas Eve, especially in seven-degree weather, but that was the case for little Nativity who was thoughtlessly given to a child for Christmas without his parents’ approval. Fortunately, we were able to intervene and now she’s safe in a loving home!

The boy’s father was adamant and unrelenting and planned to cruelly put her in a plastic container and leave her in front of the local animal shelter, without seeming to care that she would certainly freeze to death by Christmas morning, and that’s even assuming the shelter would be open on Christmas Day, which is incredibly unlikely.

Thankfully, one of the shelter’s devoted volunteers learned of Nativity’s plight and rushed to her rescue, and called our Justice for Animals Senior Campaigner Doll Stanley who regularly collaborates with multiple rescues and shelters in Mississippi. The two met and Stanley took Nativity into her care.

Upon her rescue, it became apparent that not only was Nativity extremely hungry, but she sadly had three significant bite wounds from what must have been delivered by an adult dog and skin issues on her stomach. Despite the trauma, she recovered quickly and had a jolly time playing with Melanie, one of Stanley’s cats, and went on small but exciting adventures for the benefit of her socialization.

On January 13, 2023, her transport day came, and Deb Webber, who had found Nativity’s picture after being advised to check out dogs for adoption on Donna Quick’s  Charlie’s Crusaders website, excitedly awaited her new pup.

Nativity, now named Luna, is romping with Webber’s grandchildren and has fun hoarding her many toys when she heads to her little bed for a break.

We’re thrilled with this outcome and celebrate the many guardians who have adopted animals we’ve aided through our Justice for Animals campaign and Hope Animal Sanctuary in Mississippi — and we’re especially grateful to everyone whose generosity makes these rescues and adoptions possible.

Please always exercise great care around adopting and giving animals as gifts, and only do so with very close friends or family members, and only after being certain they are up to the challenge and want to live with the type of animal companion you’re placing. Ideally, you should go with the person and help them choose the animal they’ll live with themselves. Learn more.

To find out more about how you can help, visit our Justice for Animals campaign and Hope Animal Sanctuary.