Texas Shelter Shares Heartwarming Transformation of Emaciated Rescue Dog

A Texas shelter shared before and after pictures of a formerly emaciated dog who got a second shot at life, all thanks to a new family.

The City of San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) posted about Rocco’s transformation. Rocco had arrived at the shelter in October after rescuers learned about stray dogs. The rescuers responded to the call of a pair of “paper-thin dogs needing help.”

“Upon arrival, they found that both dogs were skin and bones, and the white one, Rocco, couldn’t bark without falling over due to how weak he was. After speaking with nearby neighbors, it seemed that the dogs had been left alone for over a week,” ACS wrote on Facebook.

An Animal Care Officer was able to contact the dog’s previous family, who said that they fell on hard times and were not able to care for the dogs anymore. They surrendered the pups, and they were immediately transferred to the veterinarian.

God’s Dogs Rescue prepared rooms for the pups, and after seeing a photo of Rocco online, a woman felt drawn to him.

“Little did we know, Ms. P had just seen Rocco’s photo online and felt drawn to him. Her previous senior pup had passed away in August, and she didn’t feel ready to add another dog to her family until she saw Rocco. After seeing his photo, Ms. P loaded up her family and arrived at ACS as soon as our doors opened.”

When the family met Rocco, they instantly fell in love. Rocco seemed to like them too and was wagging his tail like crazy. Rocco was adopted that same day!

Now, thanks to his new family, Rocco is double the weight that he was when he first arrived at the shelter. The family quickly found out that Rocco is deaf, and now they communicate with him using sign language, which he is reportedly picking up quickly.

“We are so happy that Rocco found his perfect home! Thank you, P family, for opening your heart and home to give Rocco, a special needs shelter pup, a loving family to grow old with.”

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!

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