Pets

Dog Braved Bad Weather In Car, Needs New Home: Caldwell Rescue

According to a Caldwell-based rescue, Sweetie's former owner kept her outside all year, letting her sleep in a car when the weather got bad.

CALDWELL, NJ — Her name is Sweetie, but there wasn’t a bit of sweetness to her former life, a Caldwell-based nonprofit rescue says.

On Wednesday, Rescue Haven Foundation announced it is searching for a permanent home for a neglected dog found in a Newark car lot. (Learn more about adopting Sweetie)

According to the rescue, the pooch’s former owner kept her outside in the lot all year long, allowing her to sleep in a car when the weather got really bad. Eventually, a “Good Samaritan” became aware of Sweetie’s situation and decided to do something about it.

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When reaching out to the dog’s owner didn’t pay off, the woman began stopping by the lot on a regular basis to visit her newfound canine friend and feed her through the fence. When Sweetie began to get “very thin,” the woman stepped up her outreach, eventually convincing the owner to surrender the dog.

“We found she had been neglected medically and bred multiple times,” Rescue Haven Foundation told Patch. “She is now thriving in her foster home but needs a furever home.”

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According to the rescue, Sweetie is a female rottie hound mix, about 8-years-old and 56 pounds. She’s “sweet as sugar and loves everyone” – including children – and is a “super smart, great learner.”

Sweetie has a “medium” energy level, and after 20 minutes of walk or play she’ll be ready to relax. She walks well on a leash, and is crate-trained and housebroken. She’s a “toy-a-holic,” the rescue stated.

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