An abused Dalmatian puppy finally found a forever home in South Carolina after being saved from a dog-meat slaughterhouse in Xi’an, China.
Misha Rackcliff Hunt, a 27-year-old guest services coordinator and a lifelong dog lover from Charleston found the three-year-old Emma Roo online, and an instant bond formed between the two.
Emma Roo was around eight weeks old when she was rescued in 2017, wherein she was found to have her front legs removed, the tips of her ears shaved off, and part of her tail was gone.
It is believed among dog-meat traders that cutting off a dog’s limbs without anesthetic produces adrenaline that makes the remaining meat tender.
Emma Roo was taken to a veterinarian in Beijing, who suggested that the breeders discarded her due to a small toe defect.
She was rehomed for two years but was returned in 2019, which is why rescue groups sought out Dalmatian Rescue, a South Florida-based non-profit organization.
That was when Hunt found Emma.
“Due to the nature of her injuries, we know that they were human inflicted. This is apparently common with ‘rare’ breeds who are dismembered and tortured,” said Hunt.
“Emma has a fear of any chainsaw-like sounds such as hair dryers, vacuums, and lawn mowers,” she added.
“She has a couple of missing toes on her back paw which a vet determined to be a birth defect so it’s thought she was discarded at a young age as she wouldn’t be sold or adopted.”
Emma arrived in the US on January 28, 2020, weeks before COVID-19 forced the Chinese government to ban export of animals.
“When I first brought her home, she would scream at the top of her lungs whenever I left the room. She was always protective over her food and toys. At one point, she would even guard random pieces of my clothing because she was scared that it would be taken away,” Hunt shared.
“She now loves to play catch and with her stuffed toys, and she’s very well behaved around other dogs at the park. She’s now realizing there’s a whole world of activities out there.”