Winnie was shot in the head. And somehow, after everything she has endured, she still wants to be close to people.

Winnie showed up as a stray at someone’s home, painfully thin and unable to close her mouth. She couldn’t eat, and the people who found her feared she had been hit by a car. They made a liquid gruel, hoping they could get even a little nutrition into her, and reached out on Facebook for help. That’s when One By One Animal Rescue stepped in and rushed Winnie to Proctorville Animal Clinic.

What the veterinary team discovered was heartbreaking. One side of Winnie’s face was infested with maggots. They were coming from inside her mouth, through her cheek, and had even spread between her toes. Her body was severely emaciated because she had been unable to properly eat.

Then the X-rays revealed the unimaginable reason she couldn’t close her mouth. Winnie had been shot in the side of her head. The entry wound is still visible. The bullet remains lodged in her head, and the damage is devastating. Both sides of her jaw are broken, and some of her teeth and the tissues in her mouth have been badly damaged.

We don’t know who shot Winnie. We don’t know why. We don’t know when it happened or how long this little dog survived on her own, unable to close her mouth or eat. We only know that somehow, she survived.

The veterinary team carefully cleaned Winnie’s mouth and wounds while she was fully sedated, flushing the affected areas to remove the remaining maggots and treat the infection. And somehow, despite the horrific injuries she had endured, they discovered something miraculous: Winnie’s tongue was still intact.

Just imagine how much pain she must have been in. Even biting your tongue can hurt terribly. Winnie had been living with both sides of her jaw broken, a gunshot wound to her head, severe wounds and starvation. And yet, when the veterinary staff cared for her, Winnie kept trying to move closer.

She remains hospitalized and has a very long road ahead. Because her jaw is so badly damaged, her veterinary team has stabilized it with a tape muzzle to protect it until surgery. Since Winnie cannot safely eat on her own, a feeding tube has been placed so her severely emaciated body can finally receive the carefully controlled nutrition it desperately needs.

And because Winnie finds so much comfort in having someone close, she was given a little stuffed puppy with a heartbeat inside. When a person can’t sit beside her, Winnie can feel that little heartbeat against her body.

Yesterday, she was a stray suffering alone. Now, she is warm, receiving pain medication and nutrition, surrounded by people fighting for her—and falling asleep beside a heartbeat so she doesn’t have to feel alone. ❤️

If Winnie is strong enough, she is scheduled for a complex surgery Tuesday to repair her shattered jaw. Her surgeons may need to place a plate on one side and use wiring on the other. Her recovery will require continued hospitalization, nutritional support, pain management, monitoring and ongoing veterinary care. Winnie’s medical journey is going to be long. And it is going to be expensive. But Winnie hasn't given up. So neither will we.

We want this little girl to know what it feels like to have a full belly. We want her to fall asleep in a soft bed without pain. We want her to discover treats and toys. We want her to experience gentle hands instead of cruelty. And most of all, we want to see that tiny tail wag become a whole-body wiggle.

We cannot change the moments Winnie has already endured. But together, we can change the moments ahead of her. Winnie survived the unthinkable. Now she deserves the chance to discover what a life filled with kindness can look like.

Please help One By One Animal Rescue give Winnie that chance. Every donation will help provide the hospitalization, feeding tube and nutritional support, pain management, jaw stabilization, complex surgery and the continued veterinary care she needs to heal.

And if you cannot donate, please share Winnie’s story. Help us surround this little girl with the kindness she should have known all along. Winnie’s next chapter has begun. Please help us make sure it is the beautiful one she deserves.