Last November, as the weather in New York City was growing colder, NYPD Officer Sean Ganley received a call that a young dog had been abandoned and left on the street. When he arrived, he found a little Bulldog puppy tied up in a cloth shopping bag, placed against the street curb with only her head sticking out.

“My partner and I brought her back to our precinct where we were able to cut the bag and give her some food and water,” says Officer Ganley. They then took the five-month-old puppy, later named Beluga, to an emergency animal hospital.

On the ride to the hospital, Officer Ganley realized that this puppy was going to change his life for the better. But first, he knew he had to make sure that she received the care she needed.

“I was holding her on the car ride, and every time she kissed me or looked up at me, I knew I couldn't give her away without knowing where she ended up going,” says Officer Ganley.

Following her visit to the emergency veterinary clinic, Beluga was transferred to the ASPCA Animal Recovery Center (ARC) for ongoing, specialized care. Upon intake, it was noted that she had an embedded collar-type wound, possibly from a rope that had been tied around her neck.

Dr. Aubrey Crowley, ARC Medical Supervisor, helped oversee Beluga’s rehabilitation on her road to recovery.

“Beluga was a memorable case because she was both an example of neglect and nonaccidental injury,” says Dr. Crowley. “ARC often treats animals with embedded collar wounds. I initially assumed she might be a case where someone let a wound get too far and did not know where to get treatment, and so abandoned her.”

However, Dr. Crowley and her team soon realized that Beluga was suffering from more than that one wound. Radiographs revealed a long list of fractures across the body, including ribs and jaw fractures.

“The poor puppy was brutalized before she came to us,” says Dr. Crowley, “and in spite of that, Beluga remained a sweet, active, playful dog.”

Thankfully, Beluga’s fractures would not require surgical intervention, and she only needed to be kept on a soft food diet while her jaw fully healed. Her neck wound was treated with bandaging and antibiotics and healed over time.

Beyond these injuries, the dedicated ASPCA staff made sure to do what they could to help Beluga’s long-term health. She had signs of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, or BOAS, which are anatomic abnormalities that make it difficult for a brachycephalic (short-nosed) dog to breathe. As a result, she is more prone to heat stroke, respiratory distress and other complications. While with our teams, Beluga received surgeries to shorten her elongated soft palate, called a staphylectomy, and to widen the openings of her nostrils, called an alar fold resection.

“She will never have a normal airway as a result of her breed, but these surgeries help to reduce the strain placed on her airway as she ages,” says Dr. Crowley.

Over a few weeks with medical care and treatment, Beluga showed remarkable fortitude, especially given the situation she had come from at such a young age.

“We'll never know her story, but thinking about the tumultuous situation she must have come from makes me incredibly sad, as well as grateful that we were able to find and rehabilitate her,” says Dr. Crowley.

Officer Ganley with Beluga, now named Bayley, on the day of her adoption.

Meanwhile, in the weeks since finding Beluga on the street, Officer Ganley was patiently waiting for an important call. At the end of December, he finally received word that she was ready for adoption! He already had a new name for her as well: Bayley.

“Prior to adopting Bayley, my family already had three dogs,” Officer Ganley says. “A pit bull-mix named Kobe, a German Shepherd-mix named Meadow and a Beagle named Theo. We love each one of them and believe our house wouldn’t be a home without them.”

When Bayley first arrived at Officer Ganley’s home, she was very excited to meet the other dogs and explore the home! Since then, she and the other family members have all settled in well together.

“She gets along with all of my dogs, especially Theo, and all of my family loves her,” says Officer Ganley. “She also usually prefers sleeping in my parents’ bed or our couch rather than her own dog bed.”

In the few months since adopting her, Bayley has shown off how smart and friendly she is. She became housetrained very quickly, and she has loved being with everyone in the home. Her progress was truly special, especially considering where she started.

“Life for both of us couldn't be better,” says Officer Ganley. “I'm very happy to see how happy and healthy she looks compared to the first time I met her.”

Bayley, alongside two of her new canine siblings, Kobe and Theo.

When bringing a new furry family member into your home, regardless of their history, being patient and understanding can go a long way in helping them adjust and feel comfortable in their new space.

“As I saw myself, a lot of dogs like Bayley come from abusive households and don’t know any human attention other than anger,” says Officer Ganley. “So, if they do appear shy, nervous or scared, try to understand where they are coming from, and let them settle in and adjust at their own pace.”

From his first car ride with a battered, rescued puppy to the healthy, happy young dog he knows now—Officer Ganley has watched Bayley prove just how resilient dogs like her can be.

He says confidently that she’s changed his life for the better: “Since the first day we brought her home, she's done nothing but make my family and I happy, and I already couldn't imagine my home without her.”