A Sad Goodbye to Billy

Billy was a special little dog that was rescued from horrendous conditions at a puppy mill by Adam Parascandola of the Humane Society of the United States.  Billy and Adam had a connection right away and Adam did the only thing he could, adopt this little guy.  For several months Billy got to know love, freedom and happiness.  But the damage that the puppy mill conditions did were too great and during the holidays, Billy passed away.  Below is his story.  Be sure to click the link to the original story of his rescue, this little guy may be gone, but his impact should last a lifetime.

Billy's tale is one of horror and of hope. When Billy was rescued by Humane Society of the United States member Adam Parascandola from a deplorable puppy mill site, vets on the scene gave the Chihuahua mix a body condition score of 1 -- the very worst an animal can receive. Billy was severely underweight, his bottom jaw was missing, and his rusted cage door had to be forced open, suggesting that the dog had never once stepped foot outside. Despite his troubled beginnings, once Billy was freed, he gently and gratefully rested his head on Parascandola's shoulder, sealing their fate. Parascandola ended up adopting Billy and shared their moving story during the holidays.

This is the state rescuers found Billy in.

We don't rescue them, they rescue us.

The video made us cry happy tears.

And now we might shed some sad tears. The light of Billy's loving spirit could not outshine the injuries he sustained during his puppy mill beginnings -- the little dog passed away suddenly, shortly after the new year, succumbing to medical complications brought on by the neglect he suffered.

Billy got to spend the rest of his days in peace.

Parascandola has released a new video discussing the loss of Billy, and in it, he appears near tears as he talks about Billy's legacy.

But we choose to see Billy's existence as valuable -- in his own way, Billy has become an ambassador for other dogs languishing in wired cages empty of love and care. Don't let the light of Billy's life go out. Let's always remember what we can do to improve the lives of dogs everywhere.

Goodbye Billy, thank you for the smiles and reminding us all why rescuing dogs is very rewarding and worth it all.