When we first adopted our dog from the shelter, we quickly learned that she had her quirks. She absolutely hates brooms. The cats were intimidating. She didn’t seem to mind sitting in the rain. There were so many little things that we had to learn about her preferences. Mostly they dealt with her fears or feelings of discomfort surrounding certain household items. While we never knew what her backstory was, we can only assume that she must’ve had certain experiences that left their mark on her. That’s the thing about adopting shelter dogs, they each have their own unique experiences of life prior to you. That is also why I think it’s so important to adopt instead of shop because you’re giving them a do-over in life. You’re helping to eliminate the back memories and experiences and help them to create happy ones instead. All dogs deserve to be loved.
And there was one very heartwarming story of a dog who was scared of everything, who eventually overcame his fears thanks to the power of love. Hedgie the dog had a pretty sad and tough start in his life. He grew up never knowing love – having spent his days as a puppy all the way into adulthood tied up outside. This kind of neglect naturally sparked a fear and mistrust in the poor dog. And as a result, Hedgie was quite scared of people. Additionally, he was also afraid of new situations. When he was finally adopted from the shelter, the first thing he did upon arriving in his forever home was to seek refuge beneath a table.
But it was Mason, the young boy, who was able to get through to Hedgie. That first night, Mason decided that he was going to invite Hedgie to a little sleepover in his room. It was a good choice, as the gesture of kindness and love helped to break down Hedgie’s walls of fear. The dog transformed almost instantaneously, and by morning, the family was amazed by the turnaround! Hedgie and Mason had become best friends overnight. And since that moment, they were inseparable.
Hedgie settled into his new life. However, it wasn’t long before the dog began to display mobility issues with walking and eating. Immediately his family sought medical attention where it was discovered that he was suffering from megaesophagus. Despite his diagnosis, Hedgie’s family refused to put him to sleep – they knew that he still had a lot of good years left in him. Hedgie’s family devoted themselves to feeding him in a special chair – and that seemed to fix the problem.
It’s so wonderful to know that in the end, Hedgie received the love that he deserved. Watch his feeding chair in the video below:
This definitely brought a tear or two to my eyes. What about you? Let us know!
