She was left with the garbage — a tiny life shoved into a crate, among trashcans, on a scorching street in Memphis. That pup was Simone.
Her littermates too: siblings abandoned like trash, suffering under the sun, starving, mangy, wounded. It was July 2024, triple-digit heat, and someone thought they were trash. Not lives.
Rescuers from Tails of Hope Dog Rescue heard of the abandoned pups and rushed to help.
Simone and her siblings had burns on their paws from a metal cage heated by the relentless sun, mange on their skin, sores, infections — a horrifying picture of neglect.
But life — even when tossed aside — sometimes gets a second chance. Under the care of Tails of Hope, Simone started healing.
She was given food, medical care, baths, rest. She moved into a foster home, where amidst soft blankets and gentle hands, she began to rediscover trust.
As she healed physically, something else emerged — her spirit. Simone wasn’t just surviving. She was becoming gentle, calm, and affectionate.
Despite her terrible start, she loved being held, she relaxed around people. Her eyes softened. Her tail began to wag.
She wasn’t just a rescue — she was a contender. A therapy-dog contender.
Then fate stepped in. University Middle School, part of University of Memphis, had just received a special grant to pilot a therapy-dog program at their campus.
When school director Sally Parish reached out to Tails of Hope looking for a therapy dog, Simone was waiting there — healed, calm, and open-hearted.
She “interviewed,” and the moment she bounded through those school doors, her new life began.
Starting mid-October 2024, Simone became part of the daily rhythm of 270 middle-school students. Every morning, she greets kids at the lobby.
Her wagging tail, her soft fur — she’s greeted with smiles, sighs of relief, laughter. She sets the tone: a simple hello from a puppy brightens the day.
But Simone’s role isn’t just cute — it’s powerful. For kids overwhelmed by homework, social pressure, or anxieties — she’s a living comfort zone.
Teachers request her presence before tests, or when tensions rise. The result? Students report feeling calmer.
Some even perform better on quizzes when Simone stops by first.
On the playground, in classrooms, in the hallways — Simone brings more than warmth. She builds connection.
Kids who barely speak to each other suddenly gather around her. Shy children find courage. Anxious students find calm.
In simple puppy eyes and soft paws, barriers collapse. She becomes common ground — the friend everyone shares.
At night, she goes home — not to a shelter or a crate, but to the loving arms of Sally Parish and her family.
There, she’s still the same gentle soul, recovering from a harsh past but thriving in a safe present.
Her story ripples beyond the school walls: because she survived, others now believe in second chances.
Simone’s transformation is a powerful reminder: what’s left for trash today could be a treasure tomorrow.
A little compassion, a little care — sometimes that’s all it takes to flip despair into hope. She’s living proof that rescue isn’t just about physical recovery.
It’s about healing hearts — human and canine alike.
Her journey from trash pile to therapy room shows what kindness can do. It shows what potential lies in a creature most people walked past.
It shows that love — even after cruelty — can rebuild.
So next time you hear of a dog abandoned, tossed aside, forgotten — don’t look away.
Because somewhere in that despair might be a Simone waiting for her second chance.
