When Rachael Sylvester, founder and director of a dog rescue called Sidewalk Specials in South Africa, learned about a dog who had been sleeping outside for three years, she knew she had to help. She and her team went to the pup’s house to meet him and were immediately heartbroken by what they found.
Spencer had spent the last three years huddled up in the same corner outside his family’s home. That corner was all he had ever known, and that pain showed on his face.
“Just trying to be close to his family, close to his home,” Sylvester said in a video for The Dodo. “Spencer just wanted to be invisible. It was like he’d already given up.”
Sylvester couldn’t understand why Spencer’s family was treating him this way, and clearly Spencer didn’t understand either. The poor pup was suffering from mange and had cuts from where he had scratched himself. He was in bad shape, and his rescuers were worried he wouldn’t last much longer living like that.
“When we first got to Spencer’s house and actually saw where he lived, we said, ‘Guys, do you love this dog? Do you actually want this dog?’” Sylvester said.
The family agreed to turn over Spencer to the rescue, and from that moment on, his life changed forever.
“Everyone agreed this dog deserved a better life, and then all we had to do was make sure he got it,” Sylvester said.
Spencer started on his healing journey, and his new friends made sure he got all the care and love he needed to get healthy again. Eventually he was adopted into the most perfect family — and a year after being rescued, he barely looks like the same dog.
“Spencer’s just landed into the most perfect home for himself,” Sylvester said. “He is adored by his mum. He thinks he’s a lap dog. She sits down, he’s on top of her instantly. No concept of size.”
Spencer truly hit the jackpot with his new family. His days of sleeping outside in a corner are far behind him. He couldn’t be happier if he tried, and it’s all thanks to the rescuers who came to save him.
News
She greeted every traveler with a wagging tail, but no one knew the pain she was hiding—until rescuers uncovered her secret.
When Juneau first showed up at a local gas station, it was as if she was reporting for her first…
For six long months, shoppers walked past, ignoring the matted pup struggling to survive in a parking lot. But one rescuer refused to look away. Now, after a daring rescue and an incredible transformation, Oreo is finally learning what it means to be loved.
Pulling into the Home Depot shopping center in Compton, California, earlier this month, Suzette Hall had her eyes peeled for…
For days, drivers sped past without a second glance, mistaking her for a pile of trash. But one woman saw what others didn’t—a scared, shivering puppy fighting to survive. Now, after a rescue, a warm bath, and a little love, Lucky is finally learning what it means to be safe.
Tessa Lane was recently driving down the highway when she saw what she thought was a pile of trash by…
A realtor thought he was showing an empty apartment—until he found someone inside. Trapped for weeks with no food, the starving pit bull had been abandoned, left to fend for herself. But thanks to Tim Johnson’s quick thinking, Lady Eliza now has a second chance at life—one filled with love, care, and plenty of meals.
Tim Johnson, a real estate agent in Illinois, is still relatively new to the job, but he’s already helped one…
For four long months, Titus waited in the shelter—never doubting that his dad would return. Forced to surrender his beloved pit bull while searching for housing, Lewis Jimenez never gave up. When the day finally came, their emotional reunion left everyone in tears. Now, Titus is home—safe, loved, and never letting go again.
Four months ago, Lewis Jimenez had to do something very hard. He had to take his pit bull, Titus, back…
A family was 80 miles into their road trip when they spotted something shocking—two eyes peeking from the car’s grille! A cat had been trapped under their vehicle for miles. Rescuers carefully dismantled the car to free the feline, now named Ford. Safe but shaken, he’s recovering at a shelter, and the family who found him just might give him a forever home.
Steven Kane and his family were in the middle of a road trip when, during a moment of relaxation, he…
End of content
No more pages to load
