Neno’s owner could no longer afford to take care of him, so he was surrendered to Fort Worth Animal Care and Control. It was a moment that turned his life totally upside-down.
After being dropped off at the shelter, Neno became very scared and anxious. In fact, the sweet, tan, mixed-breed dog couldn’t stop shaking. When shelter worker Paige King saw him in his kennel – she was heartbroken.
“He was terrified,” Paige told The Dodo. “He was sitting still in the middle of the kennel with his legs tucked so tight. He would turn his head sideways to avoid looking at me.”
Paige immediately grabbed her phone to film the sad dog in hopes that posting it online would help find someone who wanted to help Neno.
The tear-inducing video has since been viewed over 250,000 times, and soon, it caught the attention of Laura Rodgers.
“The moment I saw his video, I cried,” Laura said. “I could not get him out of my mind. That video moved me that much.”
The video struck such a chord with Laura that she jumped in her car the next morning and drove over an hour to meet Neno.
“I don’t think I could have lived with myself if I didn’t know he was out of there and safe,” she said. “There were many people commenting on the Facebook post saying they wanted to adopt him, but 24 hours later he was still there.”
After arriving at the shelter, Laura was informed that a couple other people had come to visit Neno, but after meeting him, they decided he wasn’t a good fit. This didn’t detour her and she still wanted to meet him.
The sweet dog was coaxed out of his shelter and brought outside. Laura filmed this video and noticed that he had a bit of a wobbly walk – wondering if he had a neurological issue.
Despite knowing that Neno might have some serious health issues, she knew she couldn’t leave without him.
“He’s the kind of dog who fits in my wheelhouse,” Laura said. “A dog that needs love, time and attention. I could see why other people passed, but for me, Neno was a perfect fit.”
Laura brought Neno home and schedule a vet visit. They discovered that he was anemic, due to a tick infestation that he had. They also found that he has an underactive thyroid which needs to be stabilized before they can perform any neurological tests. The poor guy also has heartworm that will be treated soon.
Laura was happy to have Neno safe and sound – she suspects he was kept outside on a chain, as he had a number of pressure sores on his body.
But now, he’s absolutely loving his new home and has become so much more comfortable. As for the wobbliness, it happens a bit when he stands up, but once he starts going, he can move around quite well.
Neno isn’t the only happy animal in Laura’s household. He’s become best friends with her other dogs and even likes to hang out with all of the ducks on her property.
Since his first video, shaking in the kennel, went viral – people wanted to know he was okay. Now, he has his very own Facebook page so people can keep up on his progress.
“I know a lot of people were very worried about him, and I wanted them to know he is OK,” Laura said on the page. “I am sure many were like me, so haunted by the video. I see hundreds of dog videos a day. For some reason his really hit me hard. He is a special boy.”
Neno has progress to be made, but he’s a very happy boy compared to how scared he was in the kennel. Paige, the volunteer from the shelter, is ecstatic that her video was able to touch so many hearts and find Neno a forever home.
“I had no idea it would blow up like it did,” Paige said. “I hoped I’d get five shares, it was crazy. He looked so sad and now he is such a lucky dog.”
If you’d like to donate to Neno’s ongoing medical bills, please contact Syler Veterinary Clinic.
“He is truly a spectacular dog,” Laura boasts. “Every day he amazes me in the improvements that he makes, and all the love that he shows. He has taught me so much about forgiving and just opening your heart.”
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