Animal rescuer Demi, a devoted volunteer with Rescue Paws Curaçao, recently carried out a harrowing yet inspiring rescue mission that saved the lives of two severely neglected dogs abandoned at a local dumping ground — a place heartbreakingly familiar to the organization.
Rescue Paws Curaçao has been working closely with Demi throughout this rescue, providing full support to ensure the dogs receive the urgent care they need. Demi recounted the emotional experience in her own words:
“Yesterday started like any other morning — the usual routine before heading to work. On my commute, I pass a notorious spot where dogs, both living and deceased, are often discarded. It’s a place that haunts me; my own dog was rescued from there, and just last week I found two puppies, Milli and Mia, struggling to survive at that very site. I always make it a point to bring food for the dogs that linger there and check in on familiar faces — even a woman I often see caring for them.”
That morning, as Demi approached the large feeding area where strays often gather, something immediately felt wrong. She stopped her car to investigate and was met with a heartbreaking sight: two new dogs, both emaciated and frail, lying among a pile of bones. Their unfamiliar faces told her they must have been dumped there recently, perhaps overnight since she had last driven by just the evening before.
“I watched one of them try to share what little food there was with the other,” Demi said softly. “It was such a moving moment — even in their suffering, they still had compassion for each other.”
One of the dogs was so weak that he couldn’t stand, weighed down both by exhaustion and by a heavy chain still fastened around his neck. Demi carefully removed it, offering food and water to the pair. They accepted it gratefully, their hunger and thirst overpowering their fear.
Though she had to return to work, Demi couldn’t stop thinking about them. She shared their photos and condition with her colleagues, praying that someone else wouldn’t find them and make the wrong choice. The two dogs reminded her of Finn and Kay, other rescues she had saved in similar states — neglected, malnourished, and still wearing the collars of their former lives.
A few hours later, when her workplace granted her permission to leave, Demi wasted no time. Still wearing her wetsuit from work, she raced back to the site, heart pounding with both fear and hope. To her relief, the dogs were still there, waiting. She gently lifted them into her car and rushed them to a nearby veterinarian for immediate assessment.
The vet’s examination confirmed what Demi already suspected: both dogs were severely malnourished, with signs of anemia and a likely case of carpathian disease, a tick-borne illness. Fortunately, the infection appeared to be a milder form, and the vet was optimistic about their recovery.
They received crucial medications and began a carefully monitored treatment plan that includes follow-up injections, since their weakened stomachs can’t yet handle oral medicine. For now, their diet consists of small portions of chicken and rice served several times a day — gentle on their bodies and nourishing enough to help them regain strength.
Each dog weighs only nine pounds — about the same as a healthy 15-week-old puppy — yet both are fully grown. The male, more fragile of the two, still struggles to walk unassisted, but both have begun eating and drinking steadily, a promising sign.
Now, the pair are safe under the care of Rescue Paws Curaçao, resting in a separate recovery area away from the seven other dogs at the facility, including six foster animals.
The entire Rescue Paws team remains steadfast in their commitment to help the dogs heal — physically and emotionally. Their goal is simple but powerful: to give these animals a second chance at life.
Through Demi’s compassion and the unwavering support of Rescue Paws Curaçao, what began as another act of cruelty has turned into a story of hope, survival, and the boundless resilience of animals who refuse to give up.
