Angela Simmons couldn't believe her eyes when she pulled up outside a trailer park near her home in South Carolina, USA. The rescue worker from Auction For A Kaws was there to pick up a dog left behind by a family that had recently moved.
Angela had braced herself for a sad sight. But what she saw was beyond sad; it was a tragedy. The poor pooch, a sweet Pittie called Murphy, had been tied up and left outside in the rain.
Murphy was broken
His paw and coat were covered in sores, suggesting Murphy had been outside for days - maybe even longer. And then there were the emotional scars.
Murphy was heartbroken. He couldn't understand why his people abandoned him and had given up all hope that anybody was coming back to save him.
Angela freed Murphy and drove him to the Auction For A Kaws rescue centre. Murphy was nervous and withdrawn. Angela suspected it would take weeks (or maybe even months) for Murphy to start trusting again.
But dogs are amazing and resilient creatures. It only took a few hours for Angela to realise that this guy still had tonnes of love to offer
"The transformation was amazing," said Angela. "As soon as we were back at the shelter and Murphy knew he was safe, he proved to be the biggest love bug ever."
So, after a few days of rest at the shelter, Murphy moved into a foster home.
A perfect dog
His foster folks couldn't believe that this was the same dog they'd been told about. Murphy showed zero signs of his recent trauma. Instead, he was joyful, a little bit goofy, and full of affection.
"He just loves life and everyone he meets," said one of Murphy's foster parents. "He's eager to learn, intelligent, and has excellent manners. He's the perfect dog."
Murphy recently moved in with a new family on a trial basis. But given how everybody falls in love with Murphy, we reckon this trial family will soon become his forever family.
