Meet Freckles

     The first time we laid eyes on Freckles was an early summer morning in 2002.  Beaten, but not broken, his eyes said his story began long before we met him on that beautiful morning.

     For a human to abuse an animal is an act that most people find impossible to believe and totally unable to accept.

     A life of abuse had been Freckles fate.  The only life he had known.   Not only had he been starved, his previous owner had beaten and scolded him to the point where he cowed down in the presence of humans. 

     His left hip had been struck with a hard object, so often, that he would favor his left leg, lifting it gently from the ground and walk on three legs, when the pain became too great for him to bear.

     Many animals who endure the degree of pain inflicted on Freckles would give up and choose to die or fight back and become aggressive.  Freckles did neither.  He continued to survive and he maintained his gentle nature.

     When he was rescued, at the age of three, there was little hope that if he lived he could be rehabilitated to a condition that would ensure he was adoptable.  After all, he wouldn’t even look at you. 

     But, just one look into his big brown eyes, you could still see the puppy that wanted to live yet couldn’t understand what he had done to deserve the mistreatment he had received for so many years.

     The shelter caregivers felt Freckles, who had fought so hard to survive, deserved all the help they could give so the efforts to save him began.  At the shelter, for the first time, he was safe.  He could eat without fear.  He could sleep without fear.  Could he be rehabilitated in the time allotted for a rescued animal to remain alive in a shelter?  Not without assistance from his caregivers.

     The shelter already had so many rescued animals that required their attention and help in finding them permanent homes.  A dog like Freckles needed much more than just being fed, watered and shown love.  He had to have weeks and hours of special attention if there was any hope of locating a family willing to adopt.  To the caregivers, that didn’t matter.  They would work with him, as long as they possibly could, to give him a chance at finding a loving home.       

     Their help to Freckles was successful.  Although he remained timid and afraid to look a human in the eyes, he was indeed healthier.  Weeks of adoption efforts became futile.  Would they have spent all of this time and resources to find that he was un-adoptable?  Surely someone would see in him what they saw and want to give him a loving home.

     His time had run out.  The shelter needed help.  That’s where we come into his story.  We had volunteered to host a fundraiser/adoption event for the shelter.  Freckles was one animal in attendance at our event.

     The moment our eyes met with his, we knew he would be an easy animal to love.  We already had multiple dogs and cats that we had personally rescued or adopted so we felt it best if we gave someone else an opportunity to take this loving creature into their home.  But, still shy and trying to appear invisible, he was passed over. 

     At the end of the day, we decided that we had enough love and patience to go around so Freckles joined our family and found his permanent home.

     Nine years ago he entered our lives and still thrives with us today.  Not a moment do we regret adopting this beautiful animal who gives us unconditional love.  He blended well with our other rescues and still has the face of that puppy we saw when we first met only now, he will look you in the eyes.

     Freckles' rescue is not only a story about how an un-adoptable dog found a new home but how determined he was to survive and show just how much love he had to give.

Thank you Freckles, you are a good, sweet boy!

If you have a rescue story you would like to share, click “JOIN US” at the top of the page.  We would love to hear and share your story.