When Holden, an old dog, arrived at an animal shelter in Georgia, he was almost completely battered, and for good reason. But a few days later, the dog was back on her feet and eager to give kisses. Holden miraculously survived when he showed up at the shelter, seemingly neglected and starving.
Although he was overwhelmed and nervous, when he saw a bowl of food in the shelter, he wanted to eat it, even if it was cat food. Holden weighed 25 kilos, about 15 kilos less than his normal weight.
The unfortunate dog had just been picked up by the police because his previous home was infested with drugs. He was then taken to a shelter, but it was overcrowded and had no room for him. Holden remained stranded in the shelter area, wrapped in blankets, awaiting emergency assistance from shelter staff via social media.
Also, Holden was found to have something in his body that was slowly killing him. A visit to the veterinary clinic revealed that Holden had a three-kilogram tumor in his body, which made it difficult for him to eat.
But oddly, despite everything that happened, Holden waggled his tail ever so slightly. In this video, you can see Holden waking up after surgery to remove the tumor. His head was down and despite his obvious confusion, he quickly waggled his tail in a friendly manner.
This normal positivity will help Holden take big steps in the future. His first big step was to leave the overcrowded shelter for good. An organization called Releash Atlanta was happy to take it on.
Volunteer Ashley picked up Holden and, when he was sad and depressed in the back seat of the car, she hugged him and took a picture with him to cheer him up.
In a second step, the tumor was removed and he was placed in a happy surrogate home to recover. Fortunately, Holden’s rescuer was Melissa Lenz, someone experienced in caring for a frightened dog, and her family welcomed Holden with open arms.
Holden met Lenz’s daughter and nine puppies who now live in Lenz’s home. And Holden is full of life. Not only does he show no interest, but his zest for life hasn’t diminished at all.
I feed him all the time,” Lenz said, adding that he’s “the sweetest little boy.” Holden’s journey is not over, however.
The tumor required a biopsy to determine if it was cancerous. Despite his age and his health problems, Holden will remain in search of a forever home, after his trip to the antipodes.
