My name is Dusty.
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I was found in a rubbish bin on the outskirts of Adelaide with my two brothers.
Sadly, my brothers had both died.
Our owner had hit us all on the head, wrapped us up in a bag and thrown us away.
It’s just because I was one tough little pup that I survived.
So, I started to cry and a lovely member of the public heard me and rescued me.
He called the RSPCA and they took me to a vet for treatment.
I had a sore eye and ear and a huge headache.
That is where I met my new mum and dad, Dr Kym and Kate Sutherland.
They owned the clinic I was taken to and they treated me and loved me until I was a happy and healthy pup again.
By then they had fallen in love with me and adopted me.
I became a famous little guy in Adelaide.
The RSPCA went public with this terrible act of cruelty, wanting to find the person responsible.
I had three TV channels and the paper all taking photos of me and interviewing Kym and Kate, and before long I became the ambassador for the Adelaide RSPCA for 2013.
Unfortunately, no one was ever found and held accountable for this horrible act.
I looked like a Labrador back then, but I never grew past 12 kilos.
Now I still look like a miniature Labrador with short legs and a curly tail and Mum tells me I’m pretty cute!
I live with my four fur friends, my best friend, Lefty the Border Collie and three cats, who I love to give a bit of a hurry up to, as they pass me by.
They too have their own rescue stories to tell.
We moved from Adelaide to Narooma in 2016, where Mum and Dad now run another vet hospital and we love it here.
I am still a little frightened of strange dogs so mum is now taking me to the Narooma Dog Training Club, my new doggy school.
I am learning not to be so scared and to make some new friends.
Everyone there is supportive and understanding of my problem and I love going each Saturday.
My favourite time is going to the beach and running in the water.
Or going to the farm to see our horse, Koda and eating horse poo … yum!
See you at the beach sometime. Woof!
“Woofed” by Dusty, and written by Kate Sutherland.
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