LISBON - When Stevie Halverstadt and Jacki Hersman rescued a mistreated dog several years ago, little did they know a photograph of the sad-looking canine would be featured in the annual report of an international animal rights organization.
But that is what happened, and a photograph of the dog -renamed Hope - can be found on page 12 of the 2009 annual report of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the section highlighting PETA's efforts at fighting animal abuse.
The story of Hope began in 2003, when Halverstadt and Hersman became aware of the filthy dog with an injured leg that was chained up outside a village home and lying in the mud.
Hersman said she and Halverstadt took it upon themselves to "rescue" the dog and take it to the Lisbon Veterinary Clinic, which groomed Hope for free. By the time they were finished cutting away fur that had become matted with mud and feces, Hope's weight had dropped from 13 pounds to 8 pounds.
Hope was also quite sick and turned out to be blind, deaf and toothless. The veterinarian recommended euthanizing her, but Halverstadt and Hersman decided instead to have her treated, with the medical bill being paid by Hersman and other donors, including Halverstadt's sister, Renee Lewis.
Hersman ended up adopting Hope, who died in December 2005. "I basically loved her with all my heart for almost two and a half years," she said.
Meanwhile, Halverstadt's sister sent the first photograph taken of Hope to PETA, which, unbeknownst to them, decided to use it in the organization's annual report. Halverstadt said they didn't learn of this until recently, when Lewis - as a donor to PETA - received a copy of the annual report.
The photo was taken as evidence in case neglect charges were sought against the dog's original owner, but Halverstadt said he left the area before anything could be done by the county humane officer.
"I took the picture of the dog because I wanted to send it to the humane society, but Jacki said, 'We're not going to wait. We're rescuing it now'," Halverstadt recalled.
"If her picture in a national ad saves only one dog, it's worth it," Hersman said.
