Watch CBS News

Furry Tails: Meela's Terrifying Encounter & Road To Recovery

Not long ago, Meela the yellow Labrador Retriever was at death's door. But thankfully, she found her way to the doorstep of a kindly stranger who was able to get her the emergency care she desperately needed.

Meela was beat up, bitten and battered earlier this month by a mountain lion in southern California.

After the attack, she turned up five miles from her home, bloodied and barely breathing in the driveway of a woman who called a friend in the animal rescue business.

They rushed the Lab, her life hanging in the balance, to an emergency animal hospital where she spent a week getting medical attention.

This is what they had to say about her severe injuries.

"She was in bad, bad shape," said Wendy Sausedo, the woman who found Meela. "Breathing really hard beat up; it was like her last breath. I was terrified for her."

"There was a puncture wound through the top of her eye, into her eye, and part of her nose was ripped off and she was blowing blood bubbles," said Nicole Larr, of Purrfect Pet Rescue. "Her eye, it looked like mush. It didn't even look like an eye. At first they didn't think they were going to be able to save her eye."

Now on the road to recovery, Meela is eating, drinking and walking once again!

And the woman who found her says Meela was meant to arrive on her doorstep.

"I think, to have a happy life, she needs to be somewhere far, far away from the desert," said Sausedo. Far, far away from mountain lions."

And Meela does now need a new home! Her owners have decided not to keep her, so the Purrfect Pet Rescue organization has jumped in to help.

Meela will be up for adoption in a month.

For a more in-depth look at Meela's journey, visit CBS Los Angeles' website here.

Click here to visit Purrfect Pet Rescue's page on Facebook.

And follow Meela's journey on Facebook here!

Finally, check out this great story on fostering kittens. Many animal shelters across the country struggle at this time of year to find loving homes for cats.

_____________________________________________________

Click here for send us a photo of your Pittsburgh Pet!

Stay tuned animal lovers for more Furry Tails! You can follow me on Twitter at @HeatherLang24

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.