Most of us who regularly stretch our legs through the streets of our city are used to seeing happy dogs walking with their owners. That’s why many people don’t know the other side of the story – the darker one that shows shelters full of dogs struggling to survive.
Unfortunately, it is very dark because there are more and more dogs and less and less capacity in shelters. This is exactly what leads to the worst – the growing percentage of euthanasia rates to make room for new dogs that come from the streets or are abandoned by their owners.
There are countless heartbreaking stories from shelters about dogs that ended their lives in such a way, and they are enough to make your stomach clench.
Luckily, there are still people with big hearts who write happy stories and give us hope for better days. Today’s story is one of those.
Many Good Souls Saved Him
The owners left their senior dog at Downey Animal Care Center in South Gate, California, when he needed them the most. This Siberian Husky named Gandalf was already 14 years old and he was blind.
Instead of providing him with all the necessary support and brightening his later years, they left him at the mercy of the euthanasia shelter.
Of course, given that this dog, in addition to being blind, was also overweight and had many other health problems, the shelter immediately put him on the euthanasia list with a 72-hour deadline.
That deadline was fast approaching, and it seemed that there was no more hope for this poor canine. Then, like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, the good souls from FurryTail Endings, a rescue organization in Los Angeles, California, appeared.
These big-hearted people could not come to terms with the fact that this dog would end his life in such a way. That’s why they went into action immediately.
They posted a video on Instagram about Gandalf in the hope that other good souls would react the same way and help save him from the shelter.
View this post on Instagram
After only one day, the rescue organization posted a happy update in which they stated that they had managed to find a foster home for Gandalf.
The good news didn’t end there because many other people who saw this post on Instagram also donated a lot of money, which was necessary to get this dog out of the shelter.
“Gandalf #A5633194 (aka Xander) is officially SAFE WITH US!!!! 🥹🎉🥳 You guys helped us pull this off.. Again!!!!” they happily stated in the post.
Healing Scars From The Past
Gandalf went through many hardships in his life, and his broken health is the best proof of that. He is, among other things, overweight, has a lump on his arm, and pain in his nerves and joints.
However, what was even more heartbreaking was the fact that Gandalf was uncomfortable when someone touched certain parts of his body. In addition, he had a fear of people, especially women, which indicated that some of them had abused him in the past.
However, not everything was so negative in the case of this dog. For example, they noticed that Gandalf could see the bowl and their hands when they petted him, meaning that he was just partially blind.
Aside from that, his spirit wasn’t totally broken and there was still love in his heart and positive energy in his body. Yet, the most beautiful thing was the fact that this dog did not remove the smile from his face at any moment.
With the help of these good people and the love they will give him, we believe that all his wounds will heal quickly. Hopefully, he will spend his last years in peace and love, just as every senior dog deserves.
