06/03/2025
âšMeet Winstonâš
Winstonâs story didnât begin with warm beds or soft voices. His early life is largely a mystery, but the signs were clearâhe had been through more than any dog should. When he was rescued in 2021, Winston was diagnosed with heartworm disease. He bore the scars of rope burns on his chest and flinched at every loud sound or flash of light. Whatever his past had been, it had left its mark.
But even in those early days, there was something resilient in his eyesâa spark that refused to go out.
That spark found shelter and safety with SSG Haley Starnes, a dedicated soldier with a heart big enough to carry them both. Under her care, Winston began to heal. His treatments were long, but he was brave. His trust, once shattered, slowly started to mend.
When Haley left to pursue career advancement at school, Winston went to stay with family. It was a temporary change, one full of treats and belly rubs, but nothing compared to being by Haleyâs side.
One morning, Winston slipped out. Maybe he was chasing a squirrel. Maybe he thought he heard Haleyâs voice in the breeze. But his short adventure turned tragic when a car couldnât stop in time.
The impact left Winston with fractured tibia and fibula bonesâpainful, frightening injuries for a dog who once ran like the wind. For weeks, he could barely move. The once-bouncy Beagle lay quietly, enduring surgery, rest, and the slow, stubborn march of recovery.
But Winston was a fighter. With each passing day, his spirit never wavered. He learned to hobble, then walk, then trot. And finallyâmonths laterâhe ran. Really ran. Ears flapping, tongue lolling, tail spinning like a propeller.
When Haley returned, Winston met her at the doorânot just healed, but thriving. The reunion was filled with happy whines, teary eyes, and a promise: no matter what life threw at them, theyâd face it together.
After all, Winston wasn't just a rescueâhe was a warrior.
