Violet was just 2 years old when rescuers found her, but all she had known in that time was life on a chain.

Luckily, someone alerted the Animal Welfare Coalition of Northeastern New Mexico, who learned that her owner was in jail. The sheriff seized poor Violet from the property and handed her over to NMDOG, who had her treated for sunburn and flystrike, an often-fatal condition in which maggots infest an animal’s flesh.

Violet regained her health, but was so traumatized she’d cower if anyone tried to pet her.

Eventually, Violet learned to trust humans again — and even learned to play and explore, which she could never do on her chain. Violet now knows what it’s like to be a puppy, and we wish her a long and happy life free from cruel tethering.