Hi, I’m Cayenne. I’m a senior Alaskan Malamute, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been used. Not loved, not cared for — just used. My whole life, I was bred over and over again, with no breaks, no comfort, no kindness. I was kept on a hoarder’s property, locked in a filthy shed, crammed into a tiny pen with my mate, Bailey. The floor was covered in inches of waste. The air was thick and hot. We were matted to the skin — fur twisted into hard knots the size of baseballs. And even in those conditions… they kept breeding us. Like we were nothing but machines.

Bailey was the first to get out. She was rescued because her eyes were in terrible shape, and our rescue specializes in big dogs with big medical needs. Other groups stepped in for the dozens of other dogs on the property, and Bailey finally got to leave. She had urgent surgery, a clean space to recover, people who spoke to her gently — but she was still heartbroken.

That’s because I was still there.

The rescue didn’t know they had separated us. We’d been together for years — breeding, surviving, suffering — side by side. And when Bailey left, I stayed behind, still trapped in that tiny pen, still being used, still waiting. When they realized their mistake they rushed to get me out and brought me straight to Miami.

The moment I saw Bailey again, everything changed. She lit up. I did too. It was like we never left each other. After all we’d been through, we were finally safe — and finally together again.

But we’re not done yet. I tested heartworm positive, and I’m still fighting for my life. The treatment is long and hard, and I need help to make it through. Bailey and I have a family waiting for us — a real one. They’ve opened their home to us in Maine, with acres to roam and soft beds to rest our tired bodies. They want both of us. They know we’re a pair. But I have to be healthy enough to go.

So I’m asking — if you can, please help me get there. Please help me heal, so I can start the life I’ve always deserved. A life where I’m not used. A life where I’m loved.

With all my heart,
Cayenne 🐾