It’s wonderful to hear people tell great stories about their adopted pets; the stories of how they got them and how they transformed their lives to what they are now. In regards to that, this particular “man-adopts-dog” story might just make your heart melt.
This guy fell in love with this overweight dog in an instant when he visited a local dog shelter.
Lee Asher visited Sacramento SPCA, a pet rescue shelter in Sacramento that encourages their locals to adopt their rescued pets. This is when Asher saw a huge German Shepherd named Tony. Asher fell in love with the dog instantly.
Tony weighs 150 pounds, which is not a normal weight for an average German Shepherd. The dog weighing this much could create problems for the dog in the future since overweight dogs might develop serious cardiorespiratory problems and even joint issues.
Tony had a sad history before Asher decided to adopt him.
As Asher showed love to the dog, Tony responded to him by nudging his head against him. Asher tried to engage him in minor physical activities, but the dog showed no confidence in doing anything. Tony was found as a stray and has been adopted and returned by several owners. Knowing Tony’s sad past made Asher determined never to let him go.
“I don’t think he felt he’d ever really experienced love,” Asher told The Dodo. “But this time he’s never going back.”
Welcoming Tony to the Asher Home.
The moment Asher arrived at his home, he immediately introduced Tony to his eight other adopted dogs. The other dogs were pretty excited seeing their new family member and Asher made sure that Tony was comfortable being with them. There was enough food and water for all of them, and Tony started fitting in with the other dogs.
The problem with Tony was he lacked motivation and the confidence to do anything; he just laid uncomfortably on the floor and sometimes didn’t make an effort to interact with other dogs. Tony could not even fully climb the stairs. Asher wanted Tony to regain that by engaging him in social and physical activities with the whole pack.
Tony felt like one of the pack after some time hanging out with the Asher Family.
By giving Tony a sufficient amount of attention and motivating words, Tony was able to slowly get back in shape. Asher would take his dogs outside their house so they could all play and socialize. Their first visit to the vet was two weeks after and they found out that Tony lost three pounds. On the next visit, Tony already lost more than half their target weight loss. Two months later, he was already healthy enough to go on real adventures.
The overweight dog before has now become a confident and brave pooch.
Asher was ready to take them all for a road trip and let the dogs experience the world around them. For months, you could see Tony enjoying his time with the family. He became close with all the dogs, especially with the feisty Chihuahuas and his “girlfriend,” Lily.
After Tony lost the last two pounds, Asher revisited SPCA and show Tony’s previous handlers the result of their training. The people were really surprised at how beautiful the dog has become.
With Asher’s passionate determination, he was able to transform plenty of dog lives. Hopefully, his selfless actions will encourage other people to the same.
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