Animals subjected to cruelty may give up on life, believing there is no hope for happiness.
Sanford was a “broken dog” when he arrived at a Texas shelter. He’d been hit by a car and had a bullet wound in his right leg.
He remained in the shelter’s corner, not looking around.
He hasn’t stopped smiling since a foster mom took him home and introduced him to her other foster dogs.
Karen Velazquez, his foster mom, says he’s the happiest dog she’s ever met.
“I’m on my 52nd foster, and I can honestly say I’ve never had anyone as happy as him,” Karen told The Dodo.
“He looks at me in a way that no other animal or human, including my own pets, has ever looked at me. The only time he isn’t smiling is when he’s sleeping or eating.”
He was discovered by animal control officers on the side of the road after being hit by a car, and he also had a bullet wound in his right hind leg.
He was taken to a small shelter in Dallas, but due to a lack of resources, he received no medical care.
Fortunately, a volunteer from the local dog rescue group Dallas DogRRR noticed Sanford and knew she had to help right away.
“He was physically shattered… “And when the volunteer went to see him, he didn’t make any effort to come and say hello,” Dallas DogRRR executive director Kerry Anechiarico told The Dodo. “It’s almost as if he’d given up and was just waiting for his moment.”
He was then taken to foster mom Karen’s home and transformed into a different dog after receiving the necessary medical care.
“He’s been all smiles since then,” she said. “I believe the moment he walked into my house, he realized he was in a safe place.”
Sanford, or ‘Sanfee’ as Karen calls him, is now living the good life, eating home-cooked meals, going for daily walks, and playing with his new dog friends.
The 10-year-old dog is energetic for his age and is looking for a forever home.
“He’s like the elderly gentleman you see in a nursing home. He might be 95, but he acts like he’s in his 50s,” Kerry said.
“He’ll make an excellent family dog,” she added. “He’ll get along with other dogs and all humans. He’s even good with children.”
