This Husky Was Chained Outside For 15 Years But His Path To A Forever Home Wasn’t Easy
This story begins with a freak accident. A disaster prompted police and firefighters to come to a scene where they saw this poor dog shivering outside on a Pennsylvania winter day. The chance encounter changed this dog’s life forever, but it wasn't an easy road.
Huskies may be able to handle the cold, but that doesn't mean they should have to. When Cloud the Huskey was finally rescued, you could tell he was traumatized. Luckily, one foster home changed everything.
A House Explosion Changed Cloud's Life
One day, rescue workers in Pennsylvania got an emergency call about a collapsed house. When they arrived on the scene, they saw a gorgeous Siberian Husky tied to a weighted chain outside the property.
The chain didn't have much slack in it, so the Husky (who came to be called Cloud) had very little room to move around. Even though the rescue workers received a call about a collapsed house, they now had a new mission: rescuing Cloud.
Laws About Animal Welfare In Pennsylvania
Thankfully for Cloud, Pennsylvania has some pretty strict animal welfare laws. In Pennsylvania state, it is illegal to leave a dog chained up for more than nine hours per day. In the winter, it's illegal to leave a dog chained up outside for more than thirty minutes. The temperature gets dangerously low in Pennsylvania in the winter.
These laws help protect animals from dying of exposure. The rescue workers were able to step in and help Cloud because of these animal welfare laws.
Feeling Rather Low
The rescue workers knew that it was illegal for Cloud to be chained up for so long, especially in the middle of winter. They knew that they had the authority and the responsibility to save Cloud from the cold. Cloud was not in good condition.
Because of how little slack he had on the chain, he was forced to stand in his own waste. He had no form of shelter and nothing to keep him warm. The rescue workers sprung into action.
Calling In The SPCA
The rescue workers who were on the scene to respond to the collapsed house weren't trained animal rescuers. They decided to call in for backup. The good men and women who work at the SPCA are trained for exactly this sort of situation. When the SPCA arrived on the scene, they determined that Cloud had probably never known life off of a chain.
He was probably chained up when he was a puppy and never allowed inside his owner’s house. The SPCA confronted Cloud’s owners about their illegal actions, and the owners relinquished Cloud to the SPCA.
He Wasn't In Good Condition
When the SPCA cut Cloud free and brought him into their on-site vet, he didn't look too good. Cloud clearly wasn’t living his best life. Tricia Moyer, the manager of the Hillside SPCA, explained, "He was a broken, sad shell of a dog. His fur was thickly matted. He had a large mass on hi hind end, and he was very thin."
Even though he had been through a lot, Cloud was alive. He was probably 15 years old, but no matter how old he was, the volunteers at the SPCA were going to fight for him.
So Many Problems
Cloud was not in very good shape. When the SPCA veterinarian came in to Damon him, he noticed that Cloud had a lot of issues. Firstly, Cloud was deaf. Also, he had a lump on his body that turned out to be a tumor.
Cloud was too old and weak to have surgery to remove the tumor. It looked like this poor dog was facing some insurmountable odds. Everyone at the SPCA just wanted him to live out the rest of his life as a normal dog.
He Didn't Do Well In The Shelter
Cloud had lived his whole life tied up outside. He wasn't used to living life indoors, let alone in a shelter. Every day, the volunteers at the SPCA became even more concerned about Cloud’s condition.
Cloud was pace back and forth in his crate until he got so tired and stressed that he just fell over. Cloud wasn’t adjusting well to the shelter, and the volunteers hoped he wouldn’t have to. They started looking for a forever home for Cloud.
Getting The Right Help
The SPCA was desperate to help Cloud, so they called in Eleanor Garret at the Senior Dog Haven and Hospice. They asked if she could possibly foster Cloud. Eleanor said, "This dog wasn't acting like a dog at all, he's just a mess."
She added, "I don't think he'd ever been inside anywhere in his life, so he was just so out of sorts." Still, Everyone at the SPCA felt like Garret's facility was the best place for Cloud to be.
A Big Adjustment
Cloud was happy to leave the shelter with Eleanor, but he didn't adjust to his new life at the senior dog center right away. Cloud needed a lot of help, and it was going to take him a lot of time to fully recover from what he had been through.
Cloud started pacing at Eleanor’s facility too. Eleanor said, "he was knocking things over. He was running into things, and I thought, 'Oh no, this is going to be difficult.'"
He Wanted To Be By Himself
Eleanor and her three children tried to give Cloud a lot of love and attention, but Cloud didn't want anything to do with them. The more they tried to interact with him, the more he pulled away.
Cloud liked to hide out by himself in room corners away from the family and other dogs. Cloud wasn’t an easy case to crack. His behavior was understandable though, given that he spent 15 years of his life chained up outside.
His Favorite Hiding Spot
After being in the house for a while, Cloud found a place to hide. He worked his way into Eleanor's laundry room and knocked everything over. She said it looked like he was trying to get behind the dryer to hide.
Instead of intervening, Eleanor let Cloud do as he pleased. She said even though he stayed like that for 24 hours, it was better to let things play out. She didn't know what to expect next, but what did happen made her fall in love with Cloud.
The First Meeting
Eleanor was grabbing something when a miracle happened, "I was in my laundry room getting something, and all of a sudden, I felt this little swipe of a paw on my foot." Cloud wanted to get Eleanor's attention, but why?
Eleanor made a bold assumption that Cloud wanted to be petted. She stopped what she was doing, got down on the floor, and began petting him. Cloud responded to the attention by giving her dog kisses, "and anytime I stopped, he would swipe his paw at me again."
Finally Some Progress
It took a while, but Cloud was starting to trust the Garrett family. He seemed to understand that the family was friendly, and in turn they were trying to keep him safe.
From that moment on, things only got better. Eleanor was in shock and how amazing his demeanor change was. He was suddenly like a puppy again, looking to get love and give love back in return. There was still just one little problem.
Cloud Was An Indoor Dog
Even though Cloud seemed to be adjusting to his new life indoors, he still went to the bathroom outside. Every time he went outside to relieve himself, he wouldn't come back in. The family had to go out and retrieve him.
After they brought Cloud back inside enough times, he realized he liked being indoors, "he'd go out, he'd go to the bathroom and he'd come right back to the door and sit right at the door and wait to come in."
Help From Other Dogs
Helping Eleanor out in her journey to take care of Cloud were her six other dogs. Without them, she's not sure her efforts would have been enough. "It was almost like my dogs taught him how to be a dog and how to act," she said.
Cloud may have been the senior dog in the group, but he had never been able to be a puppy and learn the basics. With the help of his new friends, the adult was able to become a child again.
A New Lease On Life
As much as Eleanor was falling in love with Cloud, she never planned to keep him. Having six dogs and three children is hard enough. She wasn't ready to have that number grow by one.
Then the phone rang. A couple wanted to meet Cloud. Would they be a match? Would Cloud be okay moving into a new home? To the relief of everyone involved, there was an instant connection with Cloud and the couple.
Love At First Sight
Before the couple could adopt Cloud, they had to meet him. The husband approached the dog first, leaning down to pet him. Cloud said hello with a big wet dog kiss!
After that moment, everyone knew Cloud had found the perfect knew parents. The husband, who was a little hesitant at first, said, "All right, we can do this. We've got to take him. We're definitely taking him." And true to his word, the couple took him, growing their family by one.
His New Home
As the couple left Eleanor's home with Cloud, their attention turned to how Cloud would react to his new home. Remember, he never settled into the shelter, and then took a very long time to trust Eleanor's home.
When he entered his new home, he took to it right away. He was the king of his new castle and love his new family. He adjusted so quickly it was almost like he adopted them instead of the other way around!
Living His Best Life
Knowing that Cloud missed out on life for 15 years, his family created a bucket list for him. They're "working on all sorts of things that he never got to do in his entire life."
One of those small pleasures they crossed off the list early was going on walks. "I don't think he's ever been walked before and he loves it," they said. The family also got their newest member a special orthopedic bed to help him relax after his adventures.
Happily Ever After
Not every dog has its day. Cloud was close to being one of those heartbreaking stories. Instead, he was given a second chance at life after being given a safe and loving home for the first time.
These days, Cloud is living his last days in the lap of doggy luxury. He's so lucky, and we're pretty luck for learning about his uplifting tail. If you're thinking about getting a new dog, don't forget that senior dogs need loving homes, too!
Rescuers Were Heartbroken When They Realized Why This Homeless Poodle Refused Their Help
Yankee the poodle was living on the streets of Los Angeles, California. Although no one is sure just how long Yankee had been homeless, locals had seen him wandering around, fending for himself for some time.
It was clear that Yankee was struggling to make it through the day. He would search tirelessly for scraps of food to eat and water to drink before retreating to an alleyway to rest.
Yankee Was Very Fearful
By now, Yankee had been living on the streets of Los Angeles for a while so some of the locals recognized the scraggly-haired pup. Many of them would bring him food and water to eat, but no one had been able to give him a forever home.
Sometimes locals would try to catch Yankee but he would run away or retreat into his safe spot in the alleyway.
An Older Dog
Recently, the locals noticed that Yankee no longer seemed interested in eating any of the food they would bring him. They started to think that he might be on the verge of passing away.
Although the locals who knew Yankee couldn't give the sweet pup a forever home, they knew they needed to find someone who could. With the change in his demeanor, they were worried he might be injured or sick, so they called Hope for Paws.
Thank Goodness For Hope for Paws
Hope for Paws received a message about a homeless poodle that was possibly injured. They were interested in helping Yankee immediately and sent a rescue team his way. Two volunteers had just finished another rescue and rushed to find the poodle. When they arrived, it was clear that Yankee wouldn't last much longer on the streets. By his demeanor, he’d already given up.
Although Yankee had a sweet demeanor, he’d grown to be wary of strangers. Even though Hope for Paws was there to help, it took a while for the poodle to warm up to them.
He Was Reluctant To Accept Help
The volunteers approached Yankee, who was lying defeated in the corner of the alleyway. At first, Yankee didn't even move as they approached — but when they tried to put a leash around his neck, he retreated.
Yankee was understandably afraid of the volunteers from Paws for Hope. After all, humans hadn’t been much help to him so far, so why should he believe these people were any different?
They Treated Him Gently
The volunteers had lots of experience dealing with stray dogs who were nervous and untrusting of humans. Thanks to their prior work with pups in need, they knew getting Yankee away from the alleyway he now called home wouldn't be a walk in the park.
Luckily, the volunteers were persistent in their pursuit to get Yankee to a safe place. After some coaxing, they were able to get a leash on the pup and walk him out of the alleyway.
It Wasn't An Easy Mission
Knowing Yankee would likely retreat into the alleyway the first chance he got, the volunteers gently scooped him up and carried him slowly to the rescue van. As they were walking back, a local woman walked up and started patting Yankee on the head. She said she'd been trying to help the pup for a few days but he was afraid of her. She was so grateful for the Paws of Hope volunteers.
Once they were in the van, the volunteers gave Yankee an initial check-up, looking closely for any blood, bruising, cuts, or scrapes.
He Looked Like He Was In Good Health
Luckily, Yankee didn't show have any noticeable injuries, which was surprising considering he had been wandering the streets alone for some time. But Yankee was in dire need of food, water, and a nice warm bath.
The volunteers were so excited to give Yankee the love and care he deserved, but Yankee was nervous. He was visibly shaking in the arms of the volunteer.
Off To The Hospital
As the volunteers prepared to head back to the rescue hospital, they opened the hatchback of the vehicle to crate Yankee, but the poodle was hesitant. After some more coaxing, the volunteers were able to get Yankee loaded into the rescue van and begin their drive.
While in the car, the volunteers made sure to soothe Yankee as much as possible. Within a few minutes, the pup settled in and even started opening up a bit.
Starting To Trust Again
The volunteers had placed Yankee in a crate in the back of the car but left the door open in case he wanted to move about. About halfway through the drive, Yankee slowly crept from the crate and even moved to the back passenger seat to sit next to one of the volunteers.
From the looks in Yankee's eyes, the volunteers were hopeful that this meant he was warming up to them and that he knew they were here to help.
Going To The Vet
Now that Yankee was safe in the care of the volunteers, it was time to get down to business. First up on the list was a trip see a veterinarian. Since Yankee had been on the streets for some time, he definitely hadn't been to the vet in a while.
There was no way to tell if Yankee had heartworms or some type of nasty infection brewing, but the volunteers were hoping for the best.
A Healthy Pup
To everyone's relief, Yankee received a clean bill of health from the vet. He tested negative for heartworms and didn’t have any infections. He also hadn’t suffered any serious injuries while he was living on the streets.
Yankee had however developed some seriously matted fur. One thing was for certain — he needed a bath and proper grooming!
Severe Trust Issues
When the volunteers left the vet with Yankee, their next mission was to finally give the sweet pup a bath and proper grooming. But as they tried to clean Yankee, they realized his trust issues were worse than they thought.
Having worked with numerous neglected pups in the past, the volunteers weren't surprised by Yankee’s trust issues at first, but their next realization left them all heartbroken.
Not Much Human Contact
Although the volunteers were experienced handling dogs who were afraid of human, Yankee was a little different. After spending a few hours with him, they realized he had likely received little to no affection at all throughout his entire life.
The sweet pup had never been properly loved, cared for, or socialized. But now, Yankee was finally going to get the care he so desperately needed and deserved.
Opening Up
When the volunteers arrived with Yankee to the rescue hospital, the pup continued to shy away. Yankee was more subdued than ever, but he did seem to know that these people were all there to help him.
Soon enough, Yankee finally started to open up. He seemed to finally realize that the volunteers who picked him up from the alleyway, the vet, and those at the rescue hospital were all there to help him.
Thriving In His New Home
Yankee spent the next few weeks making a full recovery at the rescue hospital. Now that he had proper food, water, and hygiene, he was starting to thrive! Being around humans and other animals all day was really beneficial for Yankee. Slowly but surely he was opening up to others.
Although the volunteers who had rescued Yankee and helped give him a second chance at life were attached to the pup, they knew the next step was to find him a foster home.
A Foster Family
Before they knew it, the time had come to start looking for a foster home for Yankee. Now that he was well enough, Yankee was able to leave the rescue hospital.
Yankee was released to a foster home from the Rescue From the Hart organization. At his foster home, he met a young boy who wanted Yankee to become a part of his family forever.
So Much Better Already
Just a few weeks before, Yankee had been living on the dirty streets of Los Angeles with little food and water. More than that, the poodle had received so little affection and socialization in his life that he was terrified of humans and even resisted their help.
But thanks to the kindness of strangers, Yankee was now healthy and happy. He also had a new best friend!
A New Best Friend
It seemed like only yesterday Yankee was living in fear of humans, but now the once-homeless poodle had made a 180 in his life. He even found a new best friend!
The foster family that adopted Yankee had a young son, who fell in love with Yankee. Eventually, the boy and the pup became best friends. Now, Yankee's personality was really shining. Even better, he now has his own backyard to run around in!
One Happy Pup
Would you look at the smile? You can't fake that kind of happiness! It’s almost hard to believe that this photo of Yankee and his new owner was taken just a few short weeks after he was rescued.
Finally, Yankee had found his forever home and he was truly thriving. After a lifetime of being alone, he was finally getting the love, affection, and care he so dearly deserved.
Even More Social
Anyone who works with animal rescues knows how hard it can be for animals to transition to a new home. Just because you know they're receiving the best care and are in a safe environment, doesn’t mean they know they are.
But Yankee seemed to be an enigma. The sweet pup only got more social as time went on! He made a quick transition into his foster family and was truly the perfect addition.
A Whole New Dog
This before and after shot of Yankee is nothing short of awesome. It's hard to believe that these photos were taken only weeks apart. But it just goes to show how far a little compassion and kindness can go.
If it weren’t for the amazing rescue volunteers, who knows what may have happened to Yankee. But now, this poodle has a new chance at life. We think his face says it all!
