“Animals are just routinely dumped out there to die,” Laurie Kardon, a board member for the rescue, told The Dodo. “It’s a very dangerous place because there are a lot of trucks going through there at high speeds. It’s just heartbreaking. So many don’t make it.”
Because Susanna couldn’t walk, Zapata and others lifted her onto a tarp to get her into their truck. She was in such bad shape — but she was finally safe.
The rescuers rushed Susanna to the nearest animal hospital, where they started her on fluids and ran some blood work. It appeared that she was paralyzed, and no one knew the cause. It wasn’t clear if she’d ever be able to walk.