But one day, PETA staffer Jes Cochran arrived to find Miss Willie coughing, wheezing, and so weak that she was unable to stand.
Her owner finally agreed to give her up, and Jes rushed her to the vet.
Miss Willie made it through the night, but she was suffering from advanced heartworm disease and fluid had built up in her lungs, among other serious age-related ailments.
She had only weeks to live.
That's when Jes decided to give Miss Willie the bucket list of a lifetime, including a blowout birthday bash, a pizza night, a canoe ride, a massage, a trip to a fire station, and a day at the beach.
For the first time in her life, Miss Willie slept inside on soft bedding after days full of fun and finally had the chance to experience joy, stimulation, and love.
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https://www.rrspin.com/archives/item/50132-miss-willie-s-plight-makes-case-for-county-tethering-ban.html#sigProIdd7cdd56464
She died peacefully 16 days after her rescue.
In her memory and for the sake of countless others, PETA is working hard to get chaining banned in Halifax County so that no other dog will have to suffer chained up, forgotten and lonely, for 12 long years as Miss Willie did.
"PETA is grateful to have been able to give Miss Willie a joyful final chapter after the lifetime of neglect that she endured," says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "This story shows exactly why PETA is so committed to banning continuous tethering of dogs everywhere, including in Halifax County, where this poor dog languished for over a decade."