There's Something About Mandy

What do you get when you mix the sturdy smarts of the Pitbull with the boundless energy of a yellow Lab and add just a little dash of the loyal Shar Pei? You get Mandy.

Mandy is a bundle of energy with  an intense eagerness to explore the world. A walk is not just a walk for Mandy, it’s an adventure.

You would never know by looking at this friendly, full-of-life canine that she was once a down and out starving street dog with two kinds of painful mange and two puppies she struggled to take care of.

Once upon a time the only certainty for her future was that if it didn’t include dying on the street then it included euthanasia at a local shelter.

Right when it seemed that Mandy and her two little ones didn’t have a friend or a chance in the world, a fortuitous meeting of technology and human kindness changed everything.

Mandy's photo circulated on the internet where a good Samaritan saw it and called LifeLine Animal Project, pledging support for Mandy if they would take her into their program.

Within an hour, DeKalb Animal Services delivered Mandy and her pups, Mattie and May, to Lifeline's veterinarian, where they immediately began receiving care.

Mandy was a mess on arrival. She was undernourished and had both demodectic and sarcoptic mange (also called scabies). Her puppies also had sarcoptic mange.

Even in her weakened condition she showed a spark of life that impressed her rescuers.

Time and treatment changed Mandy so completely that it’s almost impossible to match this lively beauty with the photos of her when she first arrived at LifeLine. Her puppies also survived and thrived. They were soon adopted but Mandy is still  waiting for a new owner to share her joie de vivre with.

She’s a favorite with LifeLine’s staff of dog caretakers because of her sweetness and intelligence.

“She’s smart,” says Gene Stamey, manager of LifeLine’s Dog House. “In hot weather, she’ll put her paws in her water dish to cool herself down. Most dogs don’t figure that out.”

Mandy would do well in a home with a yard or with an active owner who likes to go for long walks or runs. She’s about 4- years-old, around 55 lbs, completely free of mange and has no health problems. She loves people and male dogs, but is not a good candidate for a home with cats.

She’s had all her shots and has received some training.

 Mandy has come a long way from her days of being sick, hairless and hungry and is just one step away from a happy ending.

If you would like to share your life with this lively and loyal dog please e-mail adoptions@atlantapets.org.  

If you can't adopt a pet at this time but still want to help homeless pets, you can become a foster parent to Mandy or any of LifeLine's dogs or cats. You can even foster “virtually”.  Details at www.atlantapets.org.