He was a stray dog from Réunion Island. When he was a pup, someone had put a piece of wire around his neck. But as he grew, the "collar" tightened and the dog either ran away or was abandoned. He spent a long time roaming the streets and his head swelled up terribly. Passers-by saw him several times, but it was impossible to get near him. A local animal welfare charity was alerted and he was caught, taken to the vet, and had emergency surgery – and he survived. His story was shared on a pet website with some photos, including one showing the look in his eyes. It really caught my heart, and I thought, "You’ve just found your safe haven." I tracked him down on the Réunion rescue site and adopted him through a shelter. I went to collect him from a rescue centre in Veynes, and it was raining cats and dogs! He was introduced to my other dog, Ouna, who is a Romanian rescue, and they really hit it off! Today, after a long journey of patience and kindness, we’ve truly bonded. Tommy (formerly Socrates) is the gentlest, most affectionate dog I’ve ever owned. He gets regular neck massages to keep the skin from becoming stiff as cardboard, and he has finally found his place in our family. </p>
