Logan, your comment about Cody's story made me decide to dig up the first message where Sandra told me her story. I know of course that there's a lot to it, but I'd like to repost here the bit that she explained to me for the first time via e-mail. I also do hope that at some point, Sandra will be able to write more about Cody's amazing and inspiring story. What a precious girl she was, and always will be.

This is what she wrote to me about a year ago about her special girl:

She was a heartbreaking abuse case that I rescued from our county shelter in NJ. I'm not saying I was a hero, but there was no way anyone was going to adopt her. The only reason she wasn't already PTS when I got there was because the case worker/shelter manager assigned to her loved her to pieces and wouldn't allow it. Cody would only eat for her and allow her to walk her. Everyone was scared of Cody, especially with those ice blue eyes. She was found tangled in a soccer net on a school field. She had just had 3 puppies all by herself. Only one was alive Cody had been so badly beaten her jaw was broken and some teeth were missing.

I saw a flyer on a bulletin board at our supermarket with her photo and the heading, "Dog Unwanted." It haunted me for days. I took that as a sign and off I went. Once home, for weeks and weeks, Cody would just sit in a corner, looking at us cautiously, barely eating, not wanting to be touched. We thought we'd just let her be and come around when she was ready. But it was the Lab of my life, my RB angel Jingles that made all the difference in the world. She was the kindest, happiest, most loving dog on earth. She took Cody by the paw and said, "Hey Cody, you've got it made here!" lol! Jing taught her how to play with toys, woof down her food, swim, bark and just enjoy being a dog; and how to love humans! Turns out the shelter case worker was a neighbor too! We've kept in touch since our move to Mass. and Cody was recently highlighted on their 10th annual "Happy Tails" program, about successful rescues, on a local TV station! I can't believe it's been almost 8 years since she came home!