Bethany's Story

When Bethany arrived at the Wake County Animal Center, one of our transfer partners, her body told a story of years of neglect and exploitation. She had clearly been overbred for most of her life, her frame tired and worn from the toll of too many litters. Her tiny, low-riding body carried a massive hernia — larger than a grapefruit — where her abdominal wall had completely separated, leaving only skin to hold her organs in place.

As if that weren’t enough, her ears bore the scars of a terrible at-home crop job. Both canals were swollen and infected, leaving her in constant discomfort. And yet, through it all, Bethany’s gentle spirit never wavered. She wagged her tail at every person who passed her kennel, whining softly for affection, eyes full of hope.

Wake County Animal Center knew that this beautiful girl needed intensive care so they reached out to us. When Bethany arrived here at SPCA Wake, we knew we were looking at one of the most unique medical cases we’d seen in a long time, but we were also looking at one of the sweetest souls. She had been through the worst, and still believed in people.

During Bethany’s spay surgery, our veterinary team discovered just how much her little body had endured. They found more than 40 ovarian cysts, a large abdominal scar suggesting a past C-section, and multiple mammary masses. Despite likely having already gone through at least one complicated pregnancy, her previous owners had continued to breed her — a heartbreaking reminder of how some dogs are valued only for what they can produce.

But that part of Bethany’s story is over now.

Our team repaired her hernia, removed her masses, and gave her the care she should have had long ago. Soon, she’ll undergo one final surgery — a Total Ear Canal Ablation (TECA) — that will finally free her ears from years of chronic pain and infection. While the procedure will leave her deaf, Bethany is already hard of hearing from the damage, and the surgery will mean something far more important: peace, comfort, and a pain-free life for the first time in years.

Today, Bethany is thriving in her foster home, soaking up the love she’s always deserved. She’s made herself right at home, napping in cozy spots, snuggling close whenever she can, and charming everyone with her happy snorts—especially when there’s cheese involved. Her foster family says she’s as gentle as they come and gets along beautifully with her foster dog brother.

Bethany will never again be used as a breeding machine. She will never again suffer silently through infections or be left behind in pain. From now on, her life is her own. Her life can be filled with soft beds, warm laps, and the kind of love that lasts forever.

Soon, she’ll have her TECA surgery, and after a little recovery time, she’ll be ready for adoption. Her next chapter will be one of joy, safety, and belonging.

To everyone who helps make stories like Bethany’s possible, we want to express our gratitude. Because of you, dogs like Bethany get to trade suffering for softness, loneliness for love, and survival for the life they were always meant to have.