When a volunteer at Pawssion Project in the Philippines recently got a message about a senior dog who’d been living in a rusty cage for the last 15 years, the heartbroken animal lover immediately knew she had to help. The volunteer headed to the scene and began feeding the dog, later named Bruno, trying to make him feel loved.
Eventually, a rescue team at Pawssion Project coordinated Bruno’s release. The sweet, misunderstood pup was finally on his way to a new life.
At the veterinarian, Bruno initially responded a bit angrily to his rescuers, still understandably scarred from his former living situation. In time, Bruno calmed down. The jaded boy was beginning to understand that his new friends were there to help.
Before leaving the vet, a rescue volunteer pulled Bruno onto her lap and wrapped him in her arms. It was the first time Bruno had ever been hugged.
“We hugged him and saw the first smile, a very big one,” Pawssion Project founder Malou Perez told The Dodo. “I told him, ‘Bruno, that’s how it [feels] to be loved and wanted.’”
Embracing this newfound warmth and safety, Bruno continued to grin. The once reactive boy was learning to trust.
Headed to the shelter, Bruno continued to marvel at the new world all around him. Perez couldn’t help but feel emotional as she watched Bruno come out of his shell.
“He was just looking at the window for a long time, like he was amazed with everything he was seeing,” Perez said. “I stopped to give him a toy, and he eventually fell asleep … I was so, so emotional then, thinking [about] how he had to endure years and years of being isolated and not feel[ing] loved.”
On his very first walk, Bruno carefully navigated a wooded trail. The pup who’d been kept in the dark for so long finally felt the sun on his face.
“Seeing him just stare into nature, appreciate the trees and the sky was so humbling,” Pawssion Project wrote in a Facebook post about Bruno.
These days, Bruno is enjoying lots of long hikes through the woods, a smile still plastered to his face. The newly energetic pup already has a forever home lined up, with a loving parent and four senior dog siblings waiting for him.
Perez is thrilled to see Bruno thriving. It’s clear she’ll never forget this dog who overcame so much.
“I will forever hold him close to my heart,” Perez said.