The owners kept the dog in such terrible conditions that it was impossible to look at it without pity. The owners kept the dog in such horrible conditions that they couldn’t bear to look at it. When the neighbours saw the poor dog’s conditions, they contacted rescue staff…
Sixteen-year-old Atlas was kept in a cramped, small cage for most of its life. The dog was in a terrible state and over the years had grown huge tangles. Among other things, the poor fellow was almost blind.
One day the neighbours noticed the sad conditions in which the dog was living, they couldn’t stand it and called the animal control service. Staff immediately went to the scene and confiscated the dog – it needed urgent care.
At Peace of Mind Dog Rescue, Atlas was taken care of – it couldn’t believe its good fortune. Its fur was in such a state of disrepair that five staff members treated it for about six hours. But Atlas bravely endured it all.
After all the procedures, the question of keeping the dog came up, and one of the staff members volunteered to take it in. There was a lot of work to be done – Atlas could hardly move around, staggered as it walked and bumped into walls.
Its back was hunched and it was dragging its hind legs, probably because it had hardly used them in its cramped cage. But its guardian took good care of Atlas, watching over its every move.
At first, Atlas hardly ate, did not communicate with the guardian’s pet dog, and did not respond to affection. But in time it finally began to feel like a normal dog. The dog realised how people can love – for it had never felt this love in its life.
By then Atlas’s guardian was so used to it that she decided to keep it with her family forever. She hired a special physiotherapist who massaged Atlas and restored the dog’s muscles. Soon the dog began to eat more and became more active and playful.
Atlas is now a perfectly happy dog. The dog is beginning to realise what it means to be a real dog, it loves its owner with all its heart and is grateful to her for giving it a new life! Atlas still has many achievements ahead of it, but most importantly, it has people who love it by its side.
