It seems it was fate that brought an abused and abandoned chocolate Labrador retriever and her doting new owner together. The female dog is between 9 months and 1 year old and has been named Destiny by Laura Meline of Joliet.
A man saw Destiny being thrown from a car window. The driver of the car then backed up, appearing to try to run over the dog. The driver eventually left, and a frightened Destiny was picked up and brought to Liz Bagley, who runs Making a Difference rescue. Neither the man who picked her up, Bagley or Meline understand why Destiny was abandoned.
“She wasn’t pregnant, and she looks like she’s a purebred chocolate lab, so I don’t know why anyone would do that,” said Bagley. “She’s a perfect dog. I don’t know what goes on in people’s heads.”
She was malnourished and frightened, but Destiny sustained no serious injuries from the ordeal, although she had some pre-existing scars on her face and front legs. It took Bagley about two weeks to find a home for Destiny with Meline, who quickly welcomed Destiny into her home when they met.
Meline says she fell in love with Destiny as soon as she saw her, because Destiny looks almost exactly like Meline’s dog Coco, who died in November.
“When I first saw her, I got glassy-eyed,” said Meline. “She acts the same as Coco, and she listens real good.”
Even more dramatic was the reaction the dog got from Meline’s African Great Congo parrot, Cody.
“When I brought Destiny home and Cody saw her, Cody said ‘Coco!’ and swooped down and kissed Destiny on the nose.”
Meline said she considered naming Destiny after Coco, “but I want to love her for who she is – that’s why I named her Destiny. That’s it, she’s my destiny. She’s my girl.”
Since her adoption into Meline’s home, Destiny has gained weight and is getting along well with Cody and Meline’s other dogs.
“She’s in a very loving home and is really being spoiled,” said Bagley. “This is what rescue is all about.”
