Huddled in the dirt beside a carwash was a tiny animal, hairless, trembling, and so weak he could barely lift its head. From a distance, it was impossible to tell what it was – only that he was suffering. But as rescuers drew closer, the truth hit them like a punch to the chest…
In 2020, a volunteer from Cane Rosso Rescue in Texas made a heartbreaking discovery – a tiny, hairless puppy curled up on the cold ground near a carwash. The frightened little dog, with his long floppy ears, was severely malnourished, suffering from non-contagious mange, and battling multiple infections.
No one knows exactly what horrors he faced before being found, but clinic doctors estimated it would have taken more than six months for his mange to become this severe. “Shame on people for not helping him sooner,” the rescue wrote in a Facebook post, adding that if they hadn’t stepped in, the 2-year-old chiweenie could have developed deadly sepsis.
Dobby the dog
Rescuers named him Dobby – after the mistreated house-elf from Harry Potter – because of his striking resemblance and the cruelty he had endured. Thankfully, with urgent veterinary care and plenty of love, Dobby began to heal. Remarkably, just nine days into treatment, he was already showing signs of improvement, proving his incredible will to survive.
“Dobby is basking in his freedom from pain and suffering” and “already wagging his tail and snuggling,” the rescue writes on Facebook, explaining that he was placed into foster care to help his physical health, emotional and mental health.
Velcro dog
In another post that urged people to consider adopting the dog – whose hair was slowly growing back – the organization wrote: “He is a major lover of his humans, AKA Velcro dog.
“But, gosh, he is the cutest and happiest Velcro ever! He does fine with other dogs and cats but doesn’t really interact – he’d rather be the apple of his person’s eye. Dobby is potty trained for the most part and can use the doggy door. It does take him a minute to warm up to strangers, but zero aggression. He’s just a little shy.”
‘I fell in love’
The rescue’s pleas captured the attention of Brylee Powell, who was 23 when she heard of the little dog who was saved from the carwash near the border of Mexico.
“I fell in love. I said, ‘I need him,’ and immediately applied to adopt him,” Powell told Newsweek of the moment she saw Dobby’s profile. “Who knows what the poor man went through.”
Dobby meets new mom
Just a week later, she got the call she’d been hoping for – Dobby was ready for adoption. But along with the good news came a gentle warning: the little pup was still deeply afraid of humans.
“I said I did not care, and I was willing to do whatever it took to help him,” the Dallas woman told the outlet. “Dobby and I met on a bench, and he sat on my lap and was so wonderful. He didn’t seem scared at all.”
‘Growled at me’
But once they arrived home, Dobby’s fragile confidence quickly crumbled. The new surroundings overwhelmed him, and his fear took over. “He was so scared of me,” Powell recalled. “He hid in the corner and growled at me.”
“It was very difficult for those first two days. He was so scared. And it made me want to cry. It seemed he didn’t really care to be around me or anyone. I didn’t know how to make him feel safe or at home. But I just kept trying,” Powell said in the 2023 interview with Newsweek.
Transformation
Bit by bit, Dobby began to emerge from his shell, each small step bringing him closer to feeling safe. In time, he found his place in his new home – and in Powell’s heart.
Today, the once hairless, starving puppy is thriving in his forever home. His coat is thick and gleaming, his body strong, and his spirit playful. Powell says he’s unrecognizable compared to the scared little dog she met that day by the dumpster.
“He blossomed,” the loving owner said in a viral Reddit video that tells the story of Dobby’s life since the rescue. “He surprises me all the time with new developments in his personality.”
“He loves going on our daily morning walks. He loves going to grandma’s and playing with his doggy aunts and uncle – his best friends. He loves laying in the sun and sun-tanning; he loves chewing his bully sticks; he loves his piggy stuffed animal; and he loves a bit of ice cream every once in a while,” Powell added.
Dobby’s transformation is proof that with patience, compassion, and a safe place to call home, even the most broken spirits can heal.
Please let us know what you think of Dobby’s inspiring story and then share it with your friends so we can hear from them!
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