IF SOMEONE HAD abused your pet, could you be as understanding and compassionate as this dog owner?

After the former owner was evicted from their apartment three years ago, a red pitbull was taken to a kill shelter by animal control.

She had been underfed, over-bred and burned with cigarettes. The animal workers called her Cathy, for Catherine Street, where she was found.

Craigslist Craigslist

Fortunately the current owner saw the 12-year-old dog, fell in love immediately, and nursed her back to health.

Now that Cathy is doing well, her new owner has reached out to the previous one in a calm, compassionate open letter on New York’s Craigslist site to let them know that their pooch is OK.

I figure you were having a pretty bad time of it, since you were being evicted. I hope things have gotten better for you in the intervening years. Although it’s unlikely you’ll ever see this note, I just wanted you to know that I have your dog and she is doing great.

Cathy having a snooze. Craigslist Craigslist

Despite her ill treatment in the past, Cathy is a very happy and loving dog:

And it turns out she loves to swim! She loves fetch too. If she really was 12 back in 2011, that would make her 15 now but I doubt that as she still will go on long hikes with me, and swim and retrieve balls from the bay until she can barely stand… even though, yes, her face is turning white. She is truly an ambassador for her breed, even people who don’t like pits will stop and pat her as she happily wags her tail. She loves to sleep in sunbeams, and is so happy to go on walks or swims she just wags her tail with every step.

She is sleeping next to me as I type this, grunting with joy. In fact, she sleeps on my bed every night. Your dog is an awesome dog. We love her so much. The past three years we’ve had with her have brought us (and her) so much happiness.

Read the letter in full here – best to have tissues to hand. Trust us.

via The Daily Dot

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