Holly: Our Good Will Ambassador

Holly's body was riddled with pellets after she was shot on Christmas Eve. Her skin is so bad that she must wear a coat for protection.

Dog's story of survival strikes chord with students A little black and white pit bull named Holly is teaching Chemainus school children about kindness, compassion and the indomitable spirit of animals. "Here we have a dog who was abused, neglected and left for dead, and has every reason in the world to fear people," said Sandi Trent, manager of the BC SPCA's Cowichan and District Branch. "Instead, this gentle animal has shown an endless capacity for forgiveness." Less than a month after being starved and shot in a well-publicized case of animal cruelty, Holly is a star at Chemainus Elementary Community School, where she recently helped the SPCA deliver the humane education portion of the school's Community Activity Days program. "She's as small and meek as you can possibly get, yet she has such an enduring spirit and there is this real kindness about her," marvels Trent, who was so taken with the tender creature that she adopted Holly herself. Children in grades 4 through 7 have listened to the young pit bull's story with rapt attention: Holly was shot several times with a pellet gun and dumped in the parking lot of the Country Grocer store in Cobble Hill on Christmas Eve. Holiday shoppers called the SPCA, and emergency response officer Rick Hunter arrived to find the lactating dog bleeding profusely from her face, back and thigh. She was also covered in demodex mange and severely emaciated. A passerby had attempted to stop Holly's bleeding by fashioning a tourniquet around her jaw, but she required emergency care, so Hunter rushed her to the vet, where two bullets were extracted from her back and thigh. The bullet fragments in her jaw were too small and shattered to remove. The following day - Christmas morning - animal protection officer Dale Bakken and Trent carried the recovering Holly door to door in the area in search of her puppies. They also wanted to find any witnesses to the attack. "She was lactating heavily and had obviously had puppies recently," said Trent. "We were worried about the condition of the puppies, particularly given the condition of their mother, and we desperately needed to find them." (The puppies were located and eventually surrendered to the BC SPCA's Victoria branch, also suffering from demodex mange.) Trent sees Holly not only as an ambassador for her breed - breaking down stereotypes about pit bulls - but as an ambassador for all the other second-chance animals rescued from cruelty and neglect. "Holly came from a horrendous situation, but now in a loving home, she's absolutely thriving." Community school co-ordinator Wendy Lambert says children were given their choice of 10 different presenters for the school's annual Community Activity Days, and the SPCA was by far the most popular. In fact, demand for the SPCA presentation exceeded what the school could accommodate in one classroom. Lambert says Holly's story definitely struck a chord with students. "I think it really touched the children's hearts. A lot of the kids even stayed after the presentation to visit with Holly." Children can still visit with Holly, since she's the unofficial greeter at the BC SPCA's Cowichan and District Branch. Trent says visitors will recognize her by her paw-print pink shirt, which a shelter supporter custom-sewed to keep Holly warm and cozy during her continuing recovery. For more information: Sandi Trent, Manager, Cowichan and District Branch, BC SPCA, 250-746-4646; Lorie Chortyk, General Manager, Community Relations, 604-647-1316. The BC SPCA is a non-profit organization funded primarily by public donations. Our mission is to prevent cruelty and to promote the welfare of animals through a wide range of services, including cruelty investigations, emergency rescue and treatment, sheltering and adoption of homeless and abused animals, humane education, advocacy, farm animal welfare, spay/neuter programs, and wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

Holly in her paw-print pink shirt, which she wears to speaking engagements.

BC SPCA Cowichan and District branch manager Sandi Trent with Holly, who uses her sweet, gentle demeanour to teach school children about animal cruelty and humane education.