Dahlia has transformed into a new animal since she was adopted by Summer and the Girl Scouts of America! The spunky mule has gone from nearly feral to friendly in such a short amount of time. All she needed was a little extra love and time outside of the shelter!

  

Six-year-old Dahlia began her journey in mid-January of 2023 after our Humane Officers responded to a complaint regarding a female mule with severely overgrown hooves. Upon arrival at the property, our Officers saw the mule had “slipper foot”, a common condition in which an animal's hooves resembled elf shoes (above, center). The mule had approximately 6-8 inches of overgrowth on each foot. After working with Senior Officer Utter, the owner made the decision that it was in the animal’s best interest to be surrendered to the shelter for proper care.

  

Dr. April Armstrong and farrier Stacy Hyatt came to the shelter to examine Dahlia and give her the care she desperately needed. Having little to no socialization, Dahlia had to be fully anesthetized for the farrier to work on her feet. Her physical condition quickly improved thanks to the help of our staff and partners. However, Dahlia was still skittish and under-socialized when it came to interacting with people. 

HSVC Equine Manager, Christina Malleck, and our animal care staff worked with Dahlia every day to help get her used to people. In January 2023 she caught the attention of Summer, a Director at the Girl Scouts of America's Camp Arnez. Summer saw Dahlia's potential and decided to adopt her into the Girl Scout family. We recently received an update from Summer that Dahlia has made massive progress since leaving the shelter!