When Honey the beagle was dropped off at the Niagara SPCA, she couldn’t even stand on her own.
Her belly dragged against the floor, and every movement looked painful.
The person surrendering her had one heartbreaking request: they wanted Honey to be euthanized.
But the shelter staff refused.
“She was still so young, and we knew we could help her lose the weight,” said Sue Cable, Honey’s current foster mom.
At her first vet exam, Honey weighed 68 pounds — more than triple the healthy weight for a beagle her age. Tests revealed she had a thyroid condition, which medication helped stabilize, but that wasn’t the only reason for her size.
“All we know is that her owner had dementia,” Cable explained. “She would forget if she’d already fed Honey — so she just kept feeding her.”
Day after day, Honey’s meals multiplied until she could no longer walk. The extra meals pushed Honey to a whopping 68 pounds — a healthy beagle her age should only weigh around 20 pounds.
“She was completely immobile,” Cable said. “Her belly dragged, and she had to pull herself forward with her front legs. It was heartbreaking.”
Determined to give Honey a second chance, the shelter created a special rehabilitation plan. They started with pool therapy, where she could move her joints without straining them.
“At first, she hated the water,” Cable said with a laugh. “But we used carrots to coax her along. Eventually, she started shuffling around — it might’ve been the first time she’d walked in years.”
Slowly, the pounds began to melt away. By August, Honey had lost nearly 20 pounds and went home with Cable to continue her recovery.
“I took her out in the backyard every day,” Cable said. “The day she lifted herself up and walked on her own — it was incredible.”
Since then, Honey’s been unstoppable. She now goes on long walks, climbs stairs, and even runs when she’s feeling playful. Her torn leg ligaments are healing thanks to hydrotherapy, and she’s officially lost 38 pounds — more than half her original weight.
“She’s like a totally different dog,” Cable said. “You can just see how happy she is now.”
Honey still has a few more pounds to shed, but she’s well on her way to finding a forever home — one that will love her for life, not for food.
“She’s so sweet,” Cable said. “Everyone who meets her falls in love.”
If you’d like to give Honey her happy ending, contact Niagara SPCA to learn more about her adoption.
