When a team of rescuers found a stray dog they brought her in to give her shelter, food, and love. It took a lot of time and hard-work, but they finally helped her learn to love again.
The team were tipped off about a stray in the area. JoAnn Wiltz and Katie McKittrick from Hope For Paws went out and found a lone husky wandering down the street near an elementary school, and waited patiently.
They lured her in with some food in order to safely take her to the shelter. She did not go quietly, and it was clear she didn’t have a good or trusting relationship with people.
When she got to the shelter the workers washed her and tried to give her love, but she wasn’t getting comfortable.
She looked scared, trapped and skeptical of why the humans had brought her in the first place.
It’s so heartbreaking that you can’t communicate with the dog that you’re trying to save them!
The team named her Lilac and did everything they could to let her know she was safe, but she just wanted to be invisible.
Being invisible probably helped her to survive in her last home, or when she was alone on the streets.
So she would keep her head in a corner, turned away from the world and trying to be as small as possible to avoid attention.
There was no telling what she had been through or how long she had been out on her own.
And because of the apparent trauma caused by her previous owners, it took a long time to convince her that not all humans are bad. Her trainer worked tirelessly to get her back to normal.
“[So we had to convince] her that a human relationship can lead to great freedom, and great love, and great healing.” – Farren Mahone – Lilac’s Trainer
It’s hard for animals with trauma to learn to love again, but this rescue team didn’t give up on Lilac.
After 2 months of hard work trying to slowly but surely earn Lilac’s trust in humans, she came around. She let go of her fears, accepted the love of her handlers, and made friends with the other dogs at the shelter.
When she was ready to be adopted, Tanja Politiski came to the shelter to meet her.
Lilac went over and touched Tanja’s arm with her nose, which was very unusual for Lilac. Even though she had come a long way, she was still reserved.
Her initiating contact with Tanja meant that she trusted her, and was ready to build a relationship with a new person.
Lilac chose Tanja, not the other way around!
Tanja brought Lilac home to join a happy family who cares for her.
She’s now living her best life and has left all her troubles behind her.
She spends her days making friends, getting lots of love, and enjoying the little things (which may involve getting a little muddy)!
The stellar team at Hope For Paws and Lilac’s new owner, Tanja, have completely transformed her life! All dogs deserve love like this, and the work the amazing team does to help rehabilitate animals is incredible.
Lilac’s beautiful story has been shared thousands of times on social media, reaching millions of heartened viewers around the world.
Watch the video below to experience Lilac’s incredible journey to recovery.
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