I believe there’s nothing worse than feeling completely abandoned by those who once loved you, yet, unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to this dog called Benji.
Volunteer dog rescuer Mary Nakiso was driving through California’s Orange County when she suddenly spotted a giant animal running aimlessly in traffic.
More info: Suzette Hall
A group of neighbors teamed up to save a giant dog who was dumped by his family into the streets
At first sight, it was hard to tell what exactly it was, since the creature was huge and very hairy, so Mary stopped her car to investigate a little more.
Once the woman came closer, she realized that it was a giant, 75-pound dog petrified from fear. It appeared that the poor animal had been ‘thrown out’ by his family a few minutes earlier and now was chaotically trying to find his way back to them.
“When he first got thrown out he was so confused, running around in circles in traffic,” she later shared in the announcement on her Facebook account and added that there was a moment when a huge Jeep passed over him, yet thankfully, it was so high off the ground that it didn’t hurt the dog.
While Mary was still trying to figure out what to do in this unexpected situation, the dog disappeared.
Unable to trace Benji, the woman called Suzette Hall asking for help, and soon, the entire neighborhood community concentrated their efforts on searching for the dog. Luckily, after some monitoring on local social media groups, Benji was spotted again.
Despite his huge size, the dog looked scared and was confused running in circles in traffic, where he was almost hit by a car
Image credits: Suzette Hall
Suzette was in a rush to save the dog, but shortly realized that she wouldn’t be able to make it back to the neighborhood fast enough due to traffic, so she wrote three more of her trusted friends who lived nearby.
“I sent a message to Nuñez Aky, Yamileth and Karla. When they got there, he was running back and forth so fast, so they waited for him to settle down,” the woman explained. “I waited patiently, and as I knew it, because they are so amazing, they got him into a yard and shut the gate. My heart was so happy. The fear and terror he had been through was over and this big hunk of pure love was finally safe.”
But the rescue didn’t end here. All together, they drove Benji straight to Camino Pet Hospital, where the shaggy pup also received a long-overdue makeover.
“All the layers of his past have been shaved away. He literally had dreadlocks,” was written later on the Facebook update about the dog. “Benji, you are soooooo gorgeous. The past is far behind you.”
After Benji’s makeover, it was hard to recognize that it was the same dog. Once looking like a shaggy, dirty carpet, now he was adorably cute and ready to meet his new foster family.
Therefore, if any of you are looking for the cutest and the most loyal friend for a lifetime, you can contact Suzette, asking for more details about Benji’s adoption, by writing her an email that you can find right here.
No one knows exactly what kind of life Benji had before the rescue, yet one thing is definitely clear – no one deserves to be left abandoned alone right next to the dangerous, busy streets.
Thanks to the kind neighbors, the dog was not only saved but also received well-deserved care that changed him in the most beautiful way, showing that love can really do wonders.