Susie the dog's early life was brutal. As a puppy, she was discovered in a North Carolina park covered in burns, scars and maggots, with broken teeth and a broken jaw. Her owner had beaten her nearly to death because she licked his baby's face.
This dog, who now lives with animal advocate Donna Lawrence, inspired a law that increases penalties for animal abusers and was named 2014's American Hero Dog.
And recently, in honor of what she's been through, Susie was chauffeured around Manhattan in a limousine, fed a steady stream of hamburgers and put up in a super swanky hotel suite filled to the brim with toys and snacks.
The day ended with a $1,000 donation to Susie's Hope, the charity that bears Susie's name.
This all came courtesy of BarkBox, a canine goodies subscription service now also in the business of sending deserving dogs on delightful adventures.
Susie was the first such lucky pup. BarkBox is now asking folks to nominate their favorite dog to be next to get the royal treatment.
The day will be tailored to that dog's particular preferences -- one who loves tennis balls, for example, will be treated to a hotel suite full of them -- and can take place outside New York for doggies who don't like to travel. (No, dogs don't go out alone; owners come, too.)
"This could be a dog has done something heroic, had a rough life and inspiring transformation, or a family who needs some help fulfilling a bucket list for their terminally ill pup, a-la Make-A-Wish," says BarkBox's Laura Hartle. "Really, we just want to celebrate deserving dogs and tell their unique story."
Send your nominations to dogsbestday@barkbox.com.
And get in touch at arin.greenwood@huffingtonpost.com if you have an animal story to share!
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