Rejected by his owner, this heartbroken dog was taken by the police and sent to a kill shelter. Fighting for his life, Holden was close to giving up. A few loving people often adopt animals from kill shelters, saving them from a cruel ending. Could Holden be one of these lucky few?
Heartbreaking Rejection and Sentence to Death
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This innocent old boy was rejected by his owner who called him “old as dirt”. Police got involved, taking him away. The sad truth is that the police sent the dog, Holden, to a kill shelter. This heartbroken dog was sentenced to death for the cruelty of his owner. A young woman saw a defeated Holden and knew she had to rescue him. She couldn’t cope with knowing that an innocent and sweet old dog was going to be killed for no reason. Kill shelters are cruel and the majority of these dogs are unable to be saved from a tragic ending. Some wonderful people adopt dogs from the kill shelters, but not many are this lucky.
An Unfortunate Diagnosis
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Melissa, a volunteer from Releash Atlanta, took Holden to the vet after taking him from the kill shelter. There they made a heartbreaking discovery. Holden had a 7-pound tumor on his spleen. The tumor was causing him to find it hard to breathe. Surgery would be risky due to his extreme emaciation. Thankfully, it was a success. Holden came out of the surgery tumor, and spleen free. For the first time, Holden wags his tail.
Foster Family and Slow Progression
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Melissa had fostered almost 500 dogs over the years. She was experienced and full of love for all of her fosters. This was the perfect place for Holden to begin his healing. With 15 other dogs at the time, Holden was able to socialize and learn from the others. He quickly adapted, and the old boy turned into a puppy again. 3 weeks later Holden was on the way to meet a possible forever family.
Finding A Forever Home
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Look at that smile! The first visit went so well that the woman agreed to adopt Holden that day. He was so happy and thoroughly enjoying the cuddles. Holden was so excited to meet his new brother and they got along amazingly. Melissa knew that Holden had found the perfect home and that he was going to live the rest of his life with so much love and pure joy.
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