Camden stray Sweet Pea becomes ASPCA dog of the year
Sweet Pea, a pitbull named for her disposition, suffered horribly at the hands of humans, who ultimately discarded her in a Camden, New Jersey, garbage dump in 2015.
But two strokes of luck put the canine on course to become the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ 2019 dog of the year.
Luck was with Sweet Pea when a woman heard her whimpering in the dump, where she lay bruised and bleeding next to a dead dog and several dead cats. It was apparent that Sweet Pea couldn’t stand, though she struggled to get to her feet, the woman later told a rescuer from NJ Aid for Animals, which posted Sweet Pea’s story on its website.
Luck came again when Kathy McGuire, NJ Aid for Animals’ president, happened upon
Sweet Pea at a shelter where Camden Animal Control had dropped her off in April that year. The dog obviously was in pain, her legs and one side of her head raw where the skin had been ripped off. It’s believed that Sweet Pea was being used as bait in a dog fight.
The shelter wasn’t treating Sweet Pea, Aid for Animals says in its narrative. It was merely holding her for a week before she could be euthanized. Workers there agreed to let McGuire’s group seek medical care for the dog.
“From the second we put her in the car and all during her treatments, which included daily bandage changes, she never growled but was very sweet, and named Sweet Pea,” Aid for Animals says on its website.
During three days in an animal hospital, Sweet Pea was stitched and bandaged. Medicine was applied to her head, where there was no skin to stitch, and new skin eventually grew.
“As Sweet Pea began to heal, her personality came out even more,” Aid for Animals says. “She loved everyone and could not wait to go in the car.”
Throughout the ordeal, Sweet Pea remained playful and friendly, taking special delight in swimming in the organization’s in-ground pool, where she learned to climb the ladder to get herself out.
“She became the darling of all those that met her,” the group wrote.
She also became the “Official Face of Dogfighting Awareness” by resolution of the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly in 2018, which recognized her “remarkable spirit,” and Aid for Animals’ commitment and meritorious record of service. Sweet Pea’s image appeared on billboards and she spent 2019 making public appearances to raise awareness of animal abuse.
Her most recent honor came last month, when New York City’s ASPCA named Sweet Pea its dog of the year for “bringing attention to the persistent crime and brutality of dogfighting, busting breed stereotypes, and inspiring donations for animals in need.”
Sweet Pea’s journey from garbage dump to red carpet inspired Aid for Animals to set up the Sweet Pea Fund to help other abused and abandoned animals find some love and luck.