There are some dogs in this world that come across as terrifying. It might be because of their loud and menacing bark, or maybe they have been known to bite.
Well, the fact is that most dogs that come across in a negative light normally have a history we don’t know about. Aggressive dogs have usually gone through things that make them they way they are. Cerberus is one of these dogs and he was going to be put down because of it. But one woman stepped in to save his life!
Cerberus was an alpha male from South Africa. He was known to get into fights with other dogs in the kennel yard and everything about him was menacing. In addition, it was quite clear he was not very fond of people.
The SPCA knew that he was going to be put down soon if someone did not step in, but they were concerned that this dog was too far gone and they would not be able to rehabilitate him enough to find him the proper home.
So they did not step in to save him.
That’s when Samantha Browne came to the rescue.
She knew that Cerberus’ time was soon coming to an end and she just couldn’t bear to let that happen. In her eyes, all dogs have a history and it affects them in different ways.
If this dog was aggressive, the things he had gone through in his lifetime had taught him to be that way. Dogs are known to adapt to the circumstances that they are stuck in. If they have to get aggressive to protect themselves, then they will.
The only thing that Cerberus could hope for was that someone would decide to work with him and adopt him. There needed to be someone who would teach this dog that not all people are a threat.
He was lucky and Samantha decided to work with him!
It took a little while before she went into Cerberus’ kennel with him. He circled the kennel and then promptly laid down in submission. She was shocked.
It was pretty obvious that he was just as terrified of people and what they might do to him if he was not submissive.
She did not pet him in the beginning, just spent time in the same place as him without overwhelming him. When she felt like it was okay, she called him over. He came right to her!
Six days of being patient and working at his pace, Cerberus was able to work up enough trust to allow Samantha pet him!
This was a serious leap for this dog because it was obvious that he viewed human hands as weapons. This tipped her off to the fact that he had definitely been beaten in the past. That was exactly why he was so hesitant of people and it was completely understandable!
So Samantha took Cerberus home with her, saving him from being put down! She proceeded to do as much as she could for him but only working at a pace that he was comfortable with, just like she had when he was in the kennel.
Over time, she even taught him to walk on a lead and he no longer minds wearing a collar to go for a walk!
Samantha has several other dogs at her home which gave him the opportunity to get comfortable with them. But the real kicker was when they made yet another addition to their home! Samantha adopted Cerberus’ puppy, Charlie, too!
He starving and in need of some proper care, so she took him in and it was incredible.
Although Cerberus had not been very comfortable with other dogs in the past, he took Charlie under his wing without a problem!
Charlie was taken care of and later adopted by a friend of Samantha’s. All of the dogs have taken huge strides of improvement under her care and she even took Cerberus back to the kennel for a visit. They were absolutely amazed by his progress!
It really just goes to show that even scary dogs might not be as mean as you think. Sometimes they have been through so much with the wrong people that it just takes time with the right person to help them build trust again!
So next time you are looking for a dog in a shelter, consider the dogs who are on a list to be put down and save a life!
If you enjoyed this incredible story of rehabilitation and are glad that Cerberus got a second chance, along with his puppy, watch the video below and SHARE!
