For four years, Chapo’s life has been nothing but mistreatment and suffering.
His abusive owner kept him chained in his yard in Houston, Texas. He was robbed of the chance to live a happy life. Since he was never shown kindness and given love, Chapo felt desperate and hopeless.
He accepted his fate and stopped believing that he would ever live a different life.
However, when Chapo least expected it, things started changing.
Chapo Ends Up In Shelter
After the animal control officers found out about Chapo’s situation, the dog’s owner had no other choice but to surrender Chapo.
The doggo was so malnourished that all his ribs could be seen. He was also missing fur due to a horrible skin infection.
Once he was admitted to an overcrowded shelter in Houston, Chapo felt terrified and confused.
Shortly afterward, the pup was scheduled to be put down.
Hoping to attract the attention of a rescuer and to save Chapo’s life, volunteers who run Urgent Shelter Pets Houston posted a heart wrenching video of the dog on their Facebook account.
When Claudia, a regular foster mom, came across the video, she was devastated.
Chapo looked like the saddest dog in the shelter. As soon as the kind woman learned about the terrible fate that awaited him, she immediately applied to foster him.
She worked with Diamonds in the Ruff Animal Rescue, an animal rescue in Lockport, New York, which pulled Chapo from the shelter.
Claudia rushed to pick him up. The pup couldn’t even look Claudia in the eyes or let her cuddle him. He was overwhelmed with fear.
When she brought Chapo home, Claudia realized that he would need some time to settle in.
He never lived in a house before. He kept staring at the door, too frightened to go outside.
Chapo’s foster mom felt heartbroken to see him so terrified of everything and she was determined to mend his wounds.
“He was fully defeated and depressed when he got to my house. A broken spirit that I was extremely determined to put back together,” Claudia wrote on her Instagram.
Mending His Broken Heart
She started pampering him with care and showing him kindness for the first time in his life.
Slowly but surely, Chapo started realizing that he was safe.
Two weeks after he was rescued, the doggo came to Claudia’s room and curled up next to her, showing her that he trusted her. His foster mom’s room became his safe spot.
Unfortunately, the pup still couldn’t forget his past and heal his emotional wounds. He started having anxiety episodes. He would lie on the bed and tremble with fear.
In those moments, Claudia was always by his side. She would cover him with a blanket, lie next to him, and help him calm down.
Amazing Transformation
Chapo made friends with Claudia’s cats and asked for their comfort and affection.
The love that his foster mom and her cats gave him helped Chapo feel better and much more confident.
Claudia can never forget the moment when she saw Chapo step outside and start running in the yard for the very first time.
“That first day that he stepped outside, my two-year-old niece started running around with him. And it was so fun to watch… It was like the layers started to peel off with him,” Claudia told The Dodo.
The more time passed, the better Chapo felt.
Once his heart was mended, the doggo made an amazing transformation. The once terrified boy turned into the happiest dog who wagged his tail and enjoyed his life to the fullest.
At first, Claudia didn’t mean to keep Chapo.
However, as time passed, they formed an incredible bond, and she decided to adopt him and love him forever.
Chapo was over the moon because his rescuer and the person he loved most became his forever mom.