She was found tied to a post with a piece of rope near the road in Fort Worth’s Ridglea neighborhood for an unknown amount of time before a woman passing by stopped to check on her.
This is how the story of a dog named Summer begins. To this day, no one has been able to find out where she came from or how she ended up alone on this hot street. What we do know, however, is that if this good Samaritan hadn’t come to check on her, she might not have survived the season that gave her her name.
Steve Keys, a Fort Worthian and animal advocate who took Summer in as a foster parent for a short time, says that after seeing the condition Summer was in in a NextDoor article, he decided to get involved.
“She had been picked up by an animal control center, so I immediately, after seeing the post, contacted the lady at NextDoor,” he says. Keys was quick to act, knowing full well that she might be put down due to overpopulation and the fact that Summer is a Pit Bull. “I mean, we just have a big problem with pet overpopulation here. So, I went there the next morning and called Animal Control in Fort Worth.
But no one could locate Summer when they went to inquire about her. “They have five facilities in total. So I went to downtown Fort Worth, they couldn’t find her. they were doing a search and just as I was about to leave, they said, “Wait a minute, I think we have a photo, is that her?” I said yes. Turns out she was in Haslet,” he said.
With his mission clear, Keys went to Haslet to see if he could take in this still anonymous Pit Bull who was down on his luck. When he finally arrived, Keys said Summer weighed about 26 pounds, which is well below the weight of a dog his size. In fact, she was in such bad condition that Keys says animal control waived the usual three-day holding period for her, in an effort to save her life.
Shortly after bringing Summer home, Keys says several people on the NextDoor platform began inquiring about his condition. That’s when the idea of creating a GoFundMe page for the summer was born. “We raised just under $2,000 in about three days to help him get back on his feet,” he said.
But the story does not end there.
Shortly after Keys brought Summer home, a lady who had inquired about the abandoned dog asked if she could stop by his house and meet her. Shortly after they met, the lady asked Keys if she could take Summer home for a night to see if she would be a good fit for a foster family.
“After that night, she asked if she could keep her for a few more days to make sure Summer was getting along with her daughter,” Keys explained. “Just three days before she started texting me, she and her family fell in love with Summer and totally wanted to adopt her. »
Keys, who has many years of experience in animal rescue, says this scenario is anything but normal, especially for a Pit Bull who has already given birth to a litter or two of puppies.
“Space for these animals is essential,” he says. “Most animal shelters don’t have the space they need, which drives up euthanasia rates.”
Since this incident, which occurred in mid-August, Summer has made a full recovery and is now at a healthier weight of 45 pounds.
“That’s why I use the word resilient when I talk about her,” Keys adds. “Given everything she’s been through, it’s a miracle she got to where she is.”
September 8, 2023
4:07 p.m.