When you hear “service dog,” I bet it’s their pawesome uniforms and remarkable skills that pop into your head first! Yet, beneath these impeccable outfits, they are true heroes dedicated to thousands of hours of hard work and selfless service.
For years, these four-legged officers followed strict rules and sacrificed their lives in law enforcement and on the front lines, serving people. However, many of them end up living poorly, far from decent retirement homes and a nice family.
Caesar, a six-year-old German Shepherd, was one of them!
Instead of going to his forever home, Caesar settled at a local rescue organization. He was denied a loving home and the comfort of a proper bed and, instead, was confined in a tiny, metal cage!
A Life Of Filth And Neglect
When rescuers of the Pennsylvania SPCA got a call about retired service canines living poorly at a local rescue organization, they wasted no time and acted immediately.
Caesar was placed with twenty-seven other dogs at K-9 Hero Haven, Pennsylvania. But, while waiting for a forever home, all of them faced severe neglect.
“Respected dogs that once sacrificed everything for humankind were now subjected to a life of filth and neglect,” the organization wrote in a Facebook post.
Instead of receiving the treatment they deserved, the dogs lived in filth, with their kennels covered in feces. Their food bowls were dirty, and their coats were severely matted. On top of all that, the dogs weren’t treated medically.
PSPCA responded timely, helping every single one of them get decent living conditions and a safer place to live.
And Caesar, after all this time, finally got one, too!
“Ceaser was rescued alongside 27 other dogs who had spent their lives protecting others. Now, it’s our turn to protect them,” Pennsylvania SPCA wrote on Instagram.
It’s His Turn To Feel Protected Now
During his career, this incredible boi performed military work. He had a variety of roles, among which, he was mainly used as an explosive detection dog.
“Ceaser spent his life working for a contracting agency performing military or government work. He may have guarded military posts, acted in support services or at airports in a variety of roles,” SPCA wrote.
When he finally got out of the rescue, his coat was in extremely bad shape. It was so matted that he looked more like a stray picked up from the streets than a service dog.
“On the day he was rescued from K9 Hero Haven, what should have been a beautiful coat was instead matted and covered in thick fecal clumping. This poor soul,” SPCA wrote.
Finally, he now has plenty of space to run and play, and, most of all, he receives all the love that he has been denied in the past.
He’s absolutely in love with chasing tennis balls, dipping into a pool on hot days, and playing frisbee, but sometimes he can be a little too enthusiastic. Given that he had probably never had someone to teach him how to be a regular dog, this behavior is completely normal.
Caesar is a great dog who already works on socialization and ways to relax, as he surely needs it. He’s currently in the process of finding his forever home, which, hopefully, won’t last long.
His preference is an active family who has experience handling this type of working dog.
We wish you the best of luck, Caesar! And, may the next home be a forever one!
