Severely Ill German Shepherd Transforms In A New Home

Reality is harsh: it slaps you in the face when you least expect it.

I thought I’d be used to all kinds of abandoned dog stories so far, but the truth is different.

It gets harder with every new story I hear.

My heart aches and breaks after every new lost pup that had no hope and no chance.

And, my mind can’t comprehend the kind of world we live in.

I tend to focus on happy stories, but every now and then, I stumble upon a new gut-clenching case that leaves me without any air in my lungs.

I try to tell myself that it’s okay, that pup did get a second chance, but I can’t go over the moments he or she had to spend in despair.

Blue was one of those pups I cried after.

Many years later, Blue’s case still lives in my mind. Permanently.

I’ll never forget the look he had on his face when he was finally found and rescued.

And, I know you’ll never forget Blue, this wonderful GSD pup, either!

Severely Ill Puppy Named Blue Finally Gets A Break

photo of the neglected gsd puppy — Source: Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue

The Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue, from Virginia, has been known for its good work of rescuing underdogs for years now. They have helped even the most hopeless cases. One of those cases was Blue.

Blue was found, along with another dog, Roxanne, his sister. Both dogs were in horrific condition.

Blue was too skinny for his age. He was missing large patches of fur, and overall, he looked like he’d been through a nightmare. And, he definitely had been!

photo of neglected gsd — Source: Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue

Once Blue was brought to the animal hospital, he was diagnosed with parvovirus. Parvovirus is potentially deadly if not treated. It’s a disease that affects a dog’s intestinal lining and destroys it. |1|

The mortality rate of dogs affected by parvovirus can be as high as 80%! Turns out, Blue had luck because his parvovirus was diagnosed and treated early.

“There was a point in time when he was definitely very sick, and we weren’t 100 percent sure that he’d make it,” Kaitlin Vazquez, cofounder of Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue, told The Dodo.

His sister, Roxanne, had more luck than Blue. Although parvovirus can quickly transfer from one dog to another, Roxanne didn’t catch it. Soon after their rescue, Roxanne was put into a foster home as a healthy pup.

Blue had to stay in the hospital for another month before even being considered for adoption or a foster program.

Blue found a temporary foster home with Julia Downer.

“When he first got here, he was completely shut down. It was like he really didn’t know how to be a dog. He found one spot in front of our dishwasher, and he wouldn’t leave it for anything,” Downer said. “If I’d walk toward him, he’d run in a circle until I was gone, and he’d go right back to his spot and sit there and stare at me. It was kind of upsetting, and broke your heart to see a dog who was scared and so unsure like that.”

photo of neglected gsd 2 — Source: Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue

Two other dogs in the house, Simba and Koda, helped Blue relax and embrace his new life at the Downer home. Little by little, poor Blue opened up like a cocoon. He started playing with tennis balls thrown his way, and even started snuggling with hoomans on the sofa.

Blue blossomed and transformed into a lovely young German Shepherd! There was no trace of the old Blue anymore.

Although Julie was really attached to Blue, she knew he had to find his own furever family. A few months after living with Julie, Simba, and Koda, Blue found his new mommy, moved in with her, and said goodbye to the Downers in Virginia.

“She was so excited,” Downer said. “She sent me a photo of Blue in front of the ocean on the very first week that she had him, and you could just see how happy he was.”