Many innocent animals raised in abusive environments never know what it’s like to be loved unconditionally or belong to a family. The lucky ones who do get rescued, however, can become some of the most gentle and loving animals despite their rocky start.
When Pickles, a now 3-month-old Pit Bull puppy, was found abandoned on the side of the road, it was clear he had been abused and desperately needed help. Nicki Johnson has fostered dozens of dogs over the years, and when she heard about Pickles, she knew she had to step in.
As a baby, Pickles’ abusers cut off his ears, and then left him on the side of the road. As if he didn’t have it hard enough, doctors discovered he had stage 5 pulmonic stenosis, a potentially deadly heart condition, when Nicki brought him into the vet. With the financial support from strangers’ donations, Nicki was able to schedule a surgery to fix the condition.
After Pickles finally gets the chance to heal, Nicki plans to train him as a therapy dog for sick kids. “This dog has the potential to really help a lot of other people and a lot of other kids, and I’d like to do anything I can to make that happen.”
Despite his traumatic start, Nikki says the three-month-old has the perfect temperament to be a therapy dog. “I think anybody would be terrified of people if you were held down as a child and your ears cut off. But he loves everybody.”
Watch the entire video below to see Pickle’s incredible journey.
es has come? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE his emotional story on Facebook.
[Featured image credit: Facebook/Pickles Logan’s Broken Heart]