Arnold, a Chihuahua, once had a family. One day, however, he found himself alone in the streets of L.A.
He was so scared and confused and didn’t know what to do. He wandered around until a kind family allowed him to stay inside their yard.
The family looked after the dog and fed him for months. They hoped to gain his trust but they never did. They wanted to pet him but the dog screamed even with the slightest touch. They had absolutely no idea how to help him so they decided to call Hope For Paws, a charitable institution founded by Eldad Hagar.
Eldad tagged along with his rescue partner Loreta Frankonyte and quickly responded. Arriving at the scene, the family showed them where the dog stayed. They quickly went to work and they agreed that using a gentle snare would only traumatize the pup even more. And so, they decided to enclose him in a much smaller area so they could work with him.
Eldad began his work and slowly gained the dog’s trust. Using a towel, he tried to pet it, and once he determined it was calm enough, he used his hand to touch it. The pup still had moments of panic but it did great progress when it welcomed human touch for the very first time.
To rule out that the dog, now Arnold, had no medical issues, he went to the vet’s office before heading out to his foster home. He underwent a few examinations and it was complete relief that he didn’t have any injuries for that matter. Only, he screamed because he was terrified of human touch.
Terri Fox, Arnold’s foster mom, knew she had to gain his trust all over again and she didn’t mind doing the work. She continued his rehabilitation and prepped him for a new home. Within a week, she was able to help him transform from a terrified and reactive dog into a welcoming and loving one.
Arnold thrived in his new environment. And while he needed to wait for a short while, he eventually found the best home.
The rescuers believed Arnold suffered from physical abuse before he was dumped. Hence, the reason why he refused human touch. Thanks to the family who took him in, his rescuers, and his foster mom, he learned how to trust humans again.
Credits to Hope For Paws and Foxy and The Hounds