Source: The Dodo/YouTube

When this neglected pup named Niko was found, his face was swollen, and his neck was being weighed down by a huge chain that was keeping him locked up outside. Rescuers said that he appeared to be sad and defeated. They tried to remove the chain from his neck, but it was so rusted on there around his neck that they had to use bolt cutters to free the pup.

When Niko arrived at the shelter, he was timid, but once he got some treats and much-needed TLC from the staff, his personality started showing through. They reached out to his previous humans, who said that they did not have the means to take care of him and agreed to surrender him.

Niko started spending time with one of the workers at the shelter, and he came out of his shell. He was always so happy when the worker, Kelsi, was around, and he loved to spend time with her on her lunch.

Niko stayed in the shelter for a few months before leaving to go with a foster family. He loved his time with his foster family, but the shelter knew how much he loved his lunches with Kelsi, so they surprised him and took him on a lunch with her! They went to the park and made him a “barkcuterie board,” which he loved.

Niko’s foster family loved him so much that they decided to adopt him! Niko is now living happily with his new family.

While we cannot change the horrific treatment that many animals have already endured in the past, we can give animals a voice and hold perpetrators accountable for crimes in the present and the future. Many animal abusers are not held accountable by the law, which feeds into this horrific cycle of abuse. You can sign this petition to demand all states make all animal abuse a felony.

Related Content:

• Woman Rescues Abused Dog and Creates Candle Business in His Name to Help Other Neglected Dogs
• Neglected Dog Found Emaciated with No Ears or Tongue
• Abandoned, Neglected Dog Found Inches From Death With Nothing But a Tattered Collar
• Abused and Neglected Dog Who Was Kept on a Chain for Years Is Finally Free! (PHOTOS)
• Neglected Dog Had Lived on the Streets so Long He Didn’t Know What to Do With the Blankets at the Shelter

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