One sunny day, Liz Heatherly was driving down a quiet country road in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. The winding road was peaceful — until something unusual caught her eye.
Out of the car window, she saw a small, black puppy limping along the side of the road. At first, it was hard to understand what she was looking at. But as she got a better look, her heart sank. The tiny pup, no older than 10 weeks, was covered in fleas and ticks. Even worse, someone had cruelly fastened a zip tie tightly around his mouth.
Without wasting a second, Liz pulled into the nearest driveway. She, her mom, and her sister jumped out and hurried back on foot.
But the scared little puppy didn’t know they were trying to help. He bolted into a deep drainage ditch by the road, about six feet down. Determined not to leave him behind, Liz and her family slid down into the ditch on their bottoms. Her sister used a spare leash from the car to help pull them all back up—this time, with the puppy in their arms.
They gently cut the zip tie from his mouth, revealing raw, sore skin covered in scabs where the plastic had rubbed him. Without wasting a second, they rushed him to Cleveland Park Animal Hospital for help.
At the vet’s office, Dr. Bryant Phillips examined the puppy. The little guy was dehydrated, very thin, and had parasites in his belly.
But somehow, there was good news: despite having his mouth clamped shut for what the vet guessed was two or three days, there was no serious damage to his jaw.
Still, the skin around his muzzle had been hurt badly. The vet warned that the hair might never grow back. Sure enough, as the wounds healed, a white hairless ring appeared around the pup’s mouth — a permanent scar from the zip tie.
It didn’t take long for Heatherly to fall in love with the helpless puppy, whom she named Norman, but she worried about how her 4-year-old rescue dog, Jackson, would react to a new addition to her family. He usually didn’t like other dogs. Liz had always assumed he’d need to be the only dog in the house.
But Norman changed everything.
The moment Liz brought Norman into the backyard, the little puppy whimpered. Jackson ran right over and gently licked him, as if to say, “You’re safe now.” From that moment on, they were best friends.
Norman settled in quickly. He loved playing with Jackson, running around the yard, and curling up in the sun with his belly in the air. His playful spirit never faded, even after everything he’d been through.
“He’s full of energy — like a little firecracker,” Liz said with a smile. “His legs are so long he trips over them! He’s silly and just wants to play all the time.”
Two weeks after being rescued, Norman’s white scar is still visible. But to Liz, it’s just a reminder of how far he’s come. And against the odds, tiny hairs have started growing back around his mouth.
“The vet didn’t think they would, but we’re hopeful,” Liz said. “Norman is our little miracle. I wouldn’t change a thing about him.”