Cala had to endure harsh procedures to repair her wounds, especially the gash inflicted by years of hanging from the cruel metal chain around her neck. Despite the agony, Cala grew to realize that love and rewards came after the anguish, and she persevered through each stage of her rehabilitation.

Cala's wariness of her fellow canine inmates first led Battle to believe that she had either never met other dogs or had been raised to consider them as rivals. However, trust grew over time in her contacts with other dogs as well as with the loving people that surrounded her.