Salvatore is as loyal of a dog as you could find. Unfortunately, the dog’s devotion wasn’t returned.
Salvatore was abandoned by his family and left at their Florida home.
Salvatore, a Black Mouth Cur mix, posted up on the lawn of the foreclosed home and refused to leave. In his heart, he believed that his family would return for him.
But they never did. And they left him without food, water, or shelter from the hot summer sun. Dog rescuer Gloria Cabal was heartbroken over Salvatore’s story and refused to watch him suffer any further.
Knowing this was an extremely difficult and emotional time for Salvatore, she was gentle with him.
She spent more than a month trying to get him to come with her using water, food, and treats. But Salvatore was too scared to leave.
“He is on his own yard being very protective, scared of the leash and the trap is a monster for him. He will bark at men non stop and won’t allow anyone near him,” Cabal wrote in a social media post.
Salvatore was basically guarding the property, even though he wasn’t being ferocious.
Eventually, a local realtor ran Salvatore off into a nearby park.
That’s when Salvatore finally realized his family wasn’t coming back for him. So, he walked up to Cabal and let her take him to Everglades Angels Dog Rescue.
Poor Salvatore looked so scared and miserable, even after he was rescued. The poor guy was just so sad.
It was really Gloria’s capacity for empathy that saved the day.
“Our dear friend, Gloria Cabal, spent day after day, week after week, trying to win his trust. There were so many obstacles put in her path, but her compassion, strength, and determination prevailed,” the rescue wrote on their Facebook page.
The rescue’s employees made sure to give Salvatore extra care knowing all that he had been through.
“He is a volunteer favorite,” Everglades Angels staff member Denise Guevara said. “From what we were able to gather, he grew up with a family. He’s really, really a sweetheart.”
Salvatore went from being standoffish to melting in the arms of his rescuers.
He loved being on the couch and cuddling up with them and was always seeking affection.
The before picture of lonely Salvatore waiting in his yard compared to a picture of him once he settled in at the shelter is like night and day.
“It took a lot of patience, love, and dedication to get this dog to understand that we were there to help him. Sadly he was still holding out for his family. His family let him down. WE WILL NOT,” the rescue wrote on their Facebook page.
Everglades Angels Dog Rescue is still looking for an adoptive family for Salvatore.
In the meantime, they plan to give him all the love they can offer.
You can watch the heartbreak video of Salvatore refusing to leave his family’s home in the video below.
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