Top 10 Happy Tails of 2023: Meet Athena

As 2023 comes to a close, we're taking a look back at all of the lives that we’ve saved thanks to your support. While there are really more than 950 stories we could tell, we've chosen 10 dogs to highlight that include long stays, medical cases, seniors and a newborn puppy. Thank you for making each of these stories possible, and for being part of another amazing year of lifesaving in 2024!

Our final Happy Tail for the year is Athena, a dog with a brave heart despite a rocky start to life.

When Merry was matched to her incoming foster pup, Athena, she learned Athena had been rescued from a hoarding situation, and was found living in an outdoor rabbit hutch. Merry was warned that Athena might have difficulty adjusting to a new space and may take longer to decompress once she was brought home. She was also told that Athena had also been hit by a car and was missing part of her front right leg. Merry set out to prepare a likely traumatized Athena for success with as much research and preparation as possible. Expecting a long journey ahead to get her acclimated and ready for her future adopters’ home, Merry headed to the MPR HQ to pick up Athena.

To her surprise, Athena was nothing like the scared and traumatized pups Merry had read about and expected. Instead, Athena was happy and easygoing! Despite her rocky life in Kentucky, Athena had a wagging tail and a grinning smile, ready to take on her second chance in the big city.

“I could not help but think how fitting her name was - she is truly a brave warrior.”

City life turned out to be a breeze for Athena. She was unphased by the sounds and crowds and quickly learned she didn’t need to bark at the frequent noise coming from their building lobby. Moreover, Athena never seemed to be held back by her injury; she constantly impressed Merry with her speed, agility, and little “tripawd” hops. With a big heart to accompany her brave soul, Athena proved to be incredibly loving and trusting of humans. Within just a few days, Athena had filled Merry’s home with pure joy.

There was no doubt that Athena was a special pup, but Merry hadn’t thought she and her family were ready to adopt after losing their previous pup in 2022. Athena quickly became a part of the family, and it became clear she was sticking around for good. Just a few days after picking up Athena from what she thought was just a short stay, Merry found herself signing adoption papers for Athena.

Today, Athena is now thriving as their resident snuggler and drama queen. She is the most popular in the neighborhood, constantly saying hello to all the human and dog friends on daily walks. She’s playful, loveable, and sweet, constantly making them laugh with her silly faces (including her “vampire fangs”) and range of vocal noises. Putting her past behind her, Athena is your typical happy pup. She loves chasing squirrels, getting belly rubs, and snuggling as close to you as physically possible. Her favorite toy, a stuffed slice of pizza, symbolizes her complete transformation into a joyful, quintessential NYC pup.