He has carried his trauma with him for six long years, but now Scooby the former fighting dog is finally experiencing life "like a puppy" again. Owner Chris, from Montana, USA, took in tattered and traumatised Scooby after he was recovered during a police raid on an illegal dog fighting ring.
Mixed breed Scooby spent over a year in a local shelter until the court case was settled, and even faced being put down as nobody wanted to adopt a dog with his history. The pooch, aged between seven and nine-years old, was completely traumatised from his horrific treatment by the fighters - but thankfully, one person didn't give up on him.
Chris, who asked for his personal details to be kept private for fear of being found by the dogfighters, had other ideas and rescued Scooby in 2016.
He has spent the last six years rehabilitating the emotionally damaged dog, even teaching him to eat treats and bark again.
Chris's main focus has been to train Scooby to be normal, rather than well-behaved.
His misbehaviour has been celebrated too - when Scooby chewed up rubbish in the house, it was considered a sign of him becoming a 'normal dog'.
IT professional Chris has been working tirelessly to heal Scooby, even barking and howling to encourage him to find his voice.
The long process came to a significant milestone last year after Scooby plucked up the courage to yawn and squeal, and wag his tail, after remaining silent.
Chris said: "He was different than the other fighting dogs. His temperament was different.
"There were two-to-three years of no sound. I was like 'dude, we have got to change this'.
"That's one of my favourite things about him. His willingness to do that and change."
Chris came across Scooby shortly after his father had passed away, and the dog represented much more than just an animal to him.
He added: "When I found him I was going through a tough time. I was like, 'I need company and this dog needs help'. It was perfect.
"Scooby was completely closed down when I found him. I don’t think he’s ever going to be normal, but he doesn't have to be.
"He was just emotionally broken. He just needed to be fixed a little."
Scooby was recovered during a dog fighting raid in Tracy, California, where a couple were arrested for being in possession of five fighting dogs.
Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
