Athena's story begins with an act of casual cruelty. One morning, Marina was horrified to discover a plastic bag left by her garden gate. Inside were three terrified, abandoned puppies. Marina was in shock, but the surprise didn't end there. After speaking with her neighbours, she realised that several other bags had been left on other doorsteps. In total, ten puppies had been callously dumped that day.
Rescuers from the Will PitBull organisation were alerted immediately. Realising the puppies were far too young to be separated from their mother, the volunteers moved heaven and earth to find her and reunite the entire family in a safe place. Marina, deeply moved by the rescue, promised she would come back for one of the little ones as soon as they were old enough to be adopted.
An unexpected transformation
When the day came, Marina officially adopted little Athena. At the time, the puppy had a completely black coat and was small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of one hand. Marina thought she had a clear idea of what her dog would look like as an adult. But nature had a few surprises in store.
In just five months, Athena underwent a spectacular growth spurt and physical transformation, which her owner documented on video: "Little Athena has become a giant!", she marvelled. Even more surprisingly, her black puppy coat gradually changed colour, revealing completely unexpected shades as the weeks went by.
A perfect ending for the whole family
Beyond this amusing physical transformation, it's Athena's temperament that fills her owner with joy. "Watching her grow has been a unique and rewarding experience. She is very affectionate, super loving, very playful but incredibly gentle," Marina shared.
And as it turned out, fate was kind to the rest of the litter. All ten puppies abandoned in the plastic bags found loving forever homes, and their brave mother was adopted too.