When Manny and Ina walked into the shelter, they weren’t sure if they’d find the perfect match. They were looking for a new pet to join the family and were waiting to meet Pablo, a Pitbull being housed at the facility.
When Manny approached Pablo, the dog immediately started to growl. Then, he grabbed hold of Manny’s coat sleeve, tearing it to shreds.
“I reach, and he bites my coat and rips and shreds the one arm,” recalled Manny. “And everybody just got quiet.”
“They were like, ‘They’re never going to take this dog now.'”
Although this initial display of aggression would be off-putting – and even downright scary for some – Manny understood it on a deeper level. He knew Pablo’s behavior meant the dog likely wouldn’t be adopted by another family.
If Pablo was going to get a second lease on life, he and Ina would be the only ones willing to give it to him.
“I go,’ I want him even more now … I want him bad.'”
Once Manny and Ina made the decision, it was final. They were confident they’d be the perfect ones to help him evolve and grow. In an interview with The Dodo, Manny said: “We know we’re going to be dedicated in terms of the love we give and the patience we have.”
After taking Pablo home, the couple started to learn about his dark past.
One time, during an appointment, a veterinarian asked Ina who had kicked the dog in the face. According to X-ray scans, someone had injured the canine when he was very young. This, in light of Pablo’s fear of men, started to make sense.
The abuse had clearly left its mark on the dog. He was terrified of men, which is why he had attacked Manny’s coat sleeve in the first place. Still, despite Pablo’s antisocial behavior, Manny was determined to make it work.
As the days passed, Pablo would see Manny cuddling and giving affection to Charlie, the couple’s other household dog.
“He [Pablo] was like, ‘I want some of that too, but I’m scared,” recalled Manny. “Charlie was showing him, ‘This dude is cool! What are you doing? You want some of this, then you better start acting like it.'”
As time passed, Pablo eventually started warming up to Manny.
In footage featured by the Dodo, you see them comfily cuddled up in bed. “I love how crazy he is,” gushed Manny. “He’s a drama queen. His attitude … He’ll stop to enjoy the moment.”
“Sometimes he reminds me to put down my phone for a second like, ‘Enjoy the breeze! Enjoy the moment.'”
Since being uploaded to YouTube, the couple’s story has been viewed nearly 3 million times.
Stories like this are an amazing example of the transformative power of love. Comments on the video read:
“I’d like to kick the man who kicked Pablo in the mouth! People can be so evil, and there is a special place in HELL for them.”
“I want these people to adopt me too. They seem so positive and lifting up those they love.”
“Amazing people to put the time and effort in to give the doggo a loving home.”
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