Abandoned Pup Celebrates The 1st Birthday No One Thought She Would Live To See

When Penny was born, no one thought she’d live – she was the only survivor out of litter of five. The pup was born to a pit bull mama who bred too soon and didn’t have maternal instincts, yet. She rejected her newborns completely. But Candice, a devoted rescue and foster parent, was determined to give the pooch a chance at life. She stepped in as Penny’s human mom.

The tiny pup joined the family of 4 humans, 6 adopted and rescued dogs, 5 chickens, and 1 tortoise. The caring woman bottled fed and burped the pooch, as well as potty trained her and made sure she’d feel loved.

Last Friday Penny celebrated her 1st birthday. “I never thought a year ago, when I brought you [Penny] home in a cardboard box at 3 days old, that this is where we’d be today. Any of it!” Candice wrote on Facebook. “I tried to save her brother as well but he did not survive the drive home. I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it.

“We recently moved from California [to Eugene, Oregon] and purchased a 12 acre rescue ranch to foster, rehabilitate, and find great homes for dogs in need,” Candice writes on her website. If you want to help her make this happen, you can buy her calendars featuring Penny’s (aka Sweet P) adorable journey growing up.