That possibility can be evaluated without assuming it explains everything.
The Shelter Makes the Obvious Adjustment
At the next meal, the bowl does not begin several feet away.
It is placed beside Penny's towel.
Close enough that she can reach it without standing.
Penny lifts her head.
Smells the food.
For several seconds, she watches the bowl.
Then she begins eating.
No dragging.
No exhausting trip.
That alone makes the new arrangement worthwhile.
But the Strange Behavior Isn't Gone
Later, Penny shifts farther across the towel.
The bowl is now slightly beyond comfortable reach.
She could crawl forward.
Instead, her mouth closes around the rim.
She pulls.
The bowl slides toward her.
Only a few inches.
That is apparently enough.
Penny releases it and resumes eating.
This Suggests the Destination Matters More Than the Journey
Penny does not appear to drag the bowl because she enjoys carrying it.
She stops as soon as it is close enough.
The behavior seems functional.
Food needs to come to Penny's resting place.
If the shelter does that for her, she does not insist on moving it elsewhere.
That is useful information.
Her Kennel Can Be Organized Around What Her Body Can Do Today
Food nearby.
Water nearby.
Soft, stable bedding.
A non-slip surface between resources.
Minimal unnecessary walking.
For a dog in Penny's condition, accessibility is part of medical care.
There is no benefit in making her cross the kennel repeatedly just because a stronger dog could.
Her Towel Becomes the Center of a Very Small World
For the first days, Penny spends most of her time there.
She sleeps.
Wakes.
Drinks.
Eats.
Receives care.
Then sleeps again.
Her body has little energy available for anything beyond the essentials.
Recovery initially means reducing the amount of effort required for those essentials.
Eating While Lying Down Needs Observation Too
A dog eating in a low posture should still be able to chew and swallow comfortably.
The bowl's height and shape can matter.
Penny's dental health matters.
If she coughs, gags, repeatedly drops food, struggles to swallow, or shows other abnormalities, those signs need veterinary attention.
Comfort should never come at the expense of safe swallowing.
Her Nutrition Has to Rebuild Her Gradually
There is an understandable impulse to look at Penny's thin body and simply offer enormous meals.
But nutritional rehabilitation should be individualized.
Her veterinarian can determine appropriate food, meal size, frequency, and monitoring based on how compromised she is and whether other medical problems are present.
For Penny, success is not measured by how much food can be placed in front of her.
It is measured by what her body can safely use.
During the First Few Days, Her Bowl Stays Beside the Towel
The ritual nearly disappears.
Penny eats lying down.
Sometimes she lifts her head between bites and rests.