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Stray shelter dog didn't know what to do with her first toy but melted with affection

Katie's smelly, itchy skin condition didn't stop Rocky Kanaka from scooping her into his arms.

Rocky Kanaka/YouTube (used with permission)

Katie's had a rough life, but hope has arrived.

When Rocky Kanaka first met Katie, a scruffy beige Australian Shepherd mix, he thought she was a senior dog. As it turned out, the shelter pup was only about a year old. She had just been found by a good samaritan as a stray, her fur and skin in terrible shape, her paws swollen and her spirit muted. She didn't even want to look at Kanaka when he first entered the kennel to sit with her.

That all changed as he took the time to sit with her and earn her trust. Kanaka has gained a huge following on YouTube with his videos sitting with shelter dogs, and his way with them is truly inspiring. He brings his own home-baked treats and a huge amount of patience and compassion, helping abandoned animals learn that humans can be kind and caring companions.

rescue dog, shelter dog, rocky kanaka, animal welfare, petsKatie hasn't had a chance to learn to be a dog.rockykanaka.com

Katie is one of many dogs Kanaka has visited, and her behavior in the kennel showed him that she hadn't had much of a chance in her short life to learn how to be a dog.

"Introducing toys to Katie was its own adventure," Kanaka wrote. "I mean, you’d think a toy is just a toy, but for Katie, it was like I’d brought a puzzle from another planet. First up was the unicorn toy, all colorful and plush. To me, it screamed fun, but to Katie, it was a head-scratcher. She eyed it like it was going to come alive any second. Honestly, watching her try to figure it out was both heartwarming and a bit funny. It was a reminder that she hadn’t had the chance to just be a dog, to play without a care in the world."

He tried a squeaky toy, which she also didn't know what to do with and found overwhelming after a few squeaks. She took Kanaka's treats, but not immediately and not in the way a dog who understands the concept of treats would.

But throughout the video, the stray pup responded to Kanaka's affection and love by melting right into it. She even wanted to sit in his lap toward the end, but didn't seem to know how. Kanaka scooped her up, despite the foul smell her skin condition created, and it's clear that this pupper just loves being loved.

Watch:

- YouTubeyoutu.be

It's hard for animals with obvious health issues, especially something as visible as a skin condition that makes them look and smell bad, to attract people looking to adopt. But by taking half an hour to get to know her, Kanaka helped us all look past all that and see Katie's sweet spirit shine through.

So many people fell in head over heels for Katie through this video:

"OMG, The person who gets her will have the best dog as she is so obviously starved for affection and so willing to give it back ten fold."

"That dog doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body. she was instantly ready for you to pet her."

rescue dog, shelter dog, rocky kanaka, animal welfare, petsKatie loved getting pets from Rocky.rockykanaka.com

"Her little tail wag broke my heart for what’s she’s been through but also lifted my spirits that she has a strength to survive and become a loved family member."

"It's shocking how neglected she looks but her desire to be loved is so strong. She's going to bring such joy to her forever home."

"I consider myself somewhat of a tough guy.... I'm from the streets, had a crazy hard life, i did 9 yrs in prison, seen it all, done it all and ain't scared of nothing... I'm telling you that because in spite all that, when i see videos like this, i start crying like a 5 yr old girl...Goes to show you that what life has done to them, we can relate, and we see it in animals that have been hurt by others and part if me wants to knock out someone that would hurt a dog or kitty like that. Animals bring out the love and compassion we've forgotten because we know they're teaching us what we definitely need to learn. What is truly considered, unconditional love...."

Not long after this video aired, Katie was rescued and will hopefully continue to get the tender care and kindness she deserves. Rocky Kanaka's work with dogs is both inspiring and informative, and he's succeeded in helping so many dogs find forever homes instead of languishing in shelters because they don't make the best first impression.

Kanaka has also started a dog rescue coffee farm in Southern California because, as he says, "Nothing's better than dogs and coffee." Isn't that the truth?

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

You can read Katie's full story on Kanaka's website here. You can also follow Rocky Kanaka's channels on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Joy

Dog rescued from Romanian forest goes from terrified and lonely to joyous in triumph of love

There's no place like home.

via Noah's Ark Dog Rescue/TikTok

Mischa goes through an amazing transformation after being fostered.

Mischa is a mixed-breed dog discovered in a forest in Romania with her two siblings in March 2021. It’s believed she was just a month old when she was rescued. "They [Mischa and her siblings] were terrified of humans. If they hadn't of been rescued, they all would of died from cold and hunger in the forest,” Paula Biddle, a volunteer at Noah's Ark Dog Rescue in East Anglia, England, told Newsweek.

Even though Mischa’s and her siblings were fostered, she was returned to the kennel after she was sent to "didn't work out with the resident dog."

After spending just about all her life in kennels, the rescuers felt they were running out of time with Mischa because of her deteriorating mental state. As time passed, Misha "got more scared and started to shut down; she wouldn't come near us at the kennels so we had to do something," Biddle said.

​But on October 1, over two and a half years since being moved to a kennel, Mischa was fostered by Trish Edwards, who saw her story on the Noah's Ark Dog Rescue’s TikTok page.

The video of her first moments outside the kennel shows how Mischa’s attitude completely changed once she was in a comfortable home environment. "We were all amazed at how different she was,” Biddle said.

@noahsarkdogrescue

Remember the video of terrified Mischa? Well she has gone into foster and the difference by the afternoon was amazing. We can’t thank the family enough fir giving Mischa a chance of a happy life. #dogrescue #thisisrescue #adoptdontshop🐾 #rescuedogsoftiktok #noahsarkdogrescue #dogadoption #kennellife #dogfoster #terrifieddog

The video shows what can happen to dogs when they are fostered or find a forever home. "What a beautiful and lovely dog. Terrified to the bone, but still no aggression. Hope she has found her forever home," Jewelry by Jorika wrote on the post. "All they need is a chance and a bit of love and patience," JohnnyMoore128 added.

If you’re interested in helping a dog like Mischa, learn more about becoming a dog or cat foster from the ASPCA.

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Nature

A brave dog saved an injured hiker from hypothermia by laying on him for 13 hours

via HrvatskaGSS/Facebook and Maarten/Flickr

Grga Brkić being rescued and an Alaskan malamute puppy.

An incredible story from Croatia shows just how far dogs will go to take care of their human companions and how in-tune they can be to our needs.

Grga Brkić was climbing the highest peak of the Velebit mountain range about 5,800 feet above Croatia’s Adriatic coastline on Sunday when he fell nearly 500 feet down a snowy slope. The fall resulted in Brkić severely fracturing his leg, rendering him completely immobile. He had to be frightened knowing there was nothing he could do to prevent himself from dying of hypothermia.

Two nearby hikers spotted Brkić and his companion North, an eight-month-old Alaskan malamute, at the bottom of the embankment but were unable to safely get to them. So they sent for rescuers.

Brkić lay in the snow shivering, so his canine companion laid on top of him to keep him warm until help arrived. Alaskan malamutes do particularly well in cold weather and can withstand temperatures as low as -20°F. They have thick, waterproof double coats that can keep them warm even in the frozen Arctic.

The two waited for 13 hours in the freezing cold until more than a dozen first responders arrived at the scene. When they got to the pair they were amazed to find the dog had “curled around [Brkić] and warmed him.”

Brkić later told Croatian media that “The minutes and seconds before they arrived were so slow” but “this little dog is a real miracle.”

The Croation emergency mountaineers, the Hrvatska Gorska Služba Spašavanja, got to work trying to save the hiker and his dog in what they later called “one of the most difficult rescue operations” they had ever attempted.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the dog refused to detach from his friend.

“The dog was curled up next to the owner in the pit the entire time; he warmed his owner with his body, thus preventing the mountaineer’s significant hypothermia who suffered a severe fracture of the lower leg and ankle when he fell,” Josip Brozičević, head of the Croatian mountain rescue services, said.

The rescuers were finally able to save the hiker and his brave dog and they were airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital. At the hospital, the hiker went through an emergency operation. The dog was unharmed in the incident.

After Sunday’s rescue, the Brkić family shared an update on Grga and North, letting everyone know they were doing just fine.

“North is home, saying hello and relaxing,” wrote Antonija Sjauš Brkić. “Grga is going to be fine. HGSS … we have no words … thank you!!!”

The rescuers say the dog’s bravery and compassion are a lesson that we can all learn from. “Friendship and love between man and dog have no boundaries,” rescuers wrote on Sunday. “His loyalty did not stop even from the arrival of the savior … From this example, we can all learn about caring for one another.”

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Culture

Chihuahua that went viral for being a 'Chucky doll' finds his forever home

via Tyfanee Fortuna / Facebook

Earlier this month, a Facebook post by Tyfanee Fortuna went viral for her hilarious description of Prancer, a Chihuahua she was fostering. Fortuna was frustrated because she had tried to make the dog seem presentable to potential adopters for months, but nothing was working.

So, she went for broke by taking the brutally honest route, and people loved her candor.

"Ok, I've tried. I've tried for the last several months to post this dog for adoption and make him sound...palatable. The problem is, he's just not," Fortuna wrote. "There's not a very big market for neurotic, man hating, animal hating, children hating dogs that look like gremlins. But I have to believe there's someone out there for Prancer, because I am tired and so is my family."

One of the big reasons it was tough finding a home for the dog is because he hates men.

"Prancer only likes women. Nothing else. He hates men more than women do, which says a lot," she wrote. "If you have a husband don't bother applying, unless you hate him."

The dog is also terribly nervous and really, really angry.

"Every day we live in the grips of the demonic Chihuahua hellscape he has created in our home," she continued. "If you own a Chihuahua you probably know what I'm talking about. He's literally the Chihuahua meme that describes them as being 50% hate and 50% tremble. If you're intrigued and horrified at how this animal sounds already, just wait....there's more."

Fortuna went on to describe the dog in terms familiar to horror fans, calling him a "chucky doll in a dogs body" and a "vessel for a traumatized Victorian child."

The post went viral on Facebook earning over 70,000 shares. Although it was a great read for a lot of people, it still seemed hard to imagine anyone brave enough to adopt such an unpleasant beast.

However, when Ariel Davis, 36, from New Haven, Connecticut read the post, it inspired her to reach out to the Second Chance Pet Adoption League, located in Morris Plains, New Jersey, the shelter managing Prancer's adoption.

Davis thought that Prancer reminded her of an old dog she once had.

"I had a dog that I adopted probably about seven years ago and I raised him from a puppy and he was a Chihuahua/Jack Russel Terrier mix," she told Today. "He had a lot of the same qualities as Prancer, he was a little neurotic and he barked a lot and he didn't work well with other people and other animals. I spent a lot of time working with him and understanding his personality and learning about myself through him."

Unfortunately, Davis had to give up both of her dogs to loving families when she went to rehab a few years back for marijuana addiction.

But after being clean for three years, she thought she was able to care for a dog again. "I read the article, I connected to it, and I was like you know what, why not? I'll just send them an email. What's the worst that could happen?" she said.

Davis thought she had the perfect home for the dog because as a lesbian with a female roommate, so there's not a lot of men coming around the house. "It just felt like a perfect match… and the rest is history," she said.

Davis and Prancer have been living together for a week and things are going pretty well.

"He is a small, neurotic dog and it's been hard coming from a chaotic home," she said. But he does great on walks and has made a wonderful impact on Davis' life. "We're one week into the adoption and he's really changed my life, too."

Davis and Prancer look like they have a wonderful future together.

"He's helped me get out of the house actually and we go on walks and I want to take him to the beach," she said. "He's helping me get out of my shell and one of my goals is to help him become more adjusted to seeing other people."









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