Griffin, a little hairless pup with a broken spirit, was one of twenty dogs rescued from a severe case of animal cruelty and neglect in North Carolina.
Shortly after, Angela Marie, a compassionate founder of a rescue and sanctuary, “Angela’s Ark,” in Charlotte, NC, was scrolling through her Facebook when suddenly, Griffin’s face popped up on her feed.
He was sick, hairless, and curled up in a ball on the shelter floor, desperately awaiting better days or someone to come save him.
The desperate look in his eyes prompted Angela to swiftly drive to the shelter where he was and get him out of there.
That marked the beginning of Griffin’s new life…
Griffin’s Journey To Overcoming Trauma
Due to spending the first couple of years of his life in extremely cruel and inhumane conditions, Griffin’s physical health was severely compromised.
He was malnourished, battling several severe skin infections, and suffering from hair loss and an ear infection. Additionally, he required surgery to remove 14 badly infected teeth.
As you can imagine, his mental state wasn’t any better – Griffin was a grumpy, confused, and overall terrified pup with a deeply broken spirit who wanted nothing to do with humans.
The first day at Angela’s home, poor Griffin couldn’t stop shaking from fear. That’s when she realized he was going to be a very complicated case.
“Griff and I have experienced more firsts together than any rescue to date. Basic life skills like walking up and down stairs, wearing a collar, even being touched were foreign to him. For weeks, simple daily routines were a struggle,” Angela wrote in a Facebook post.
Throughout his short life, Griffin had never been handled, nor had he ever experienced the loving touch of a human. His view on humans was deeply flawed due to the abuse he experienced.
The first couple of days at Angela’s Ark were extremely stressful for both Griffin and Angela. She wanted to help, but he was terrified of her.
According to Angela, Griffin was her biggest challenge to date but also the most rewarding one.
While looking after him, she learned to cherish and celebrate every little moment and appreciate even the smallest signs of progress, or “small wins” as she likes to call them.
Finding The Perfect Furever Home
Slowly, Griffin started to relax and venture out of his comfort zone. It was baby steps, but steps nonetheless.
“So, there were a few milestones with Griff that I held onto in the beginning, just knowing that we were seeing some progress,” Angela told The Dodo.
Something as simple as getting him to eat out of her hand or getting a leash on him was a huge step for both of them.
At first, he was absolutely terrified of going outside – now it’s his favorite pastime. “He loves to circle the backyard, slowly strolling, and then he’ll always find a spot in the sun and he’ll lay there for hours if we let him,” Angela said.
The biggest milestone, though, was teaching Griff to overcome his fear of walking up and down the stairs. Once he conquered that, there was no doubt that he would eventually be okay.
Although the thought of leaving Griff brought tears to her eyes, Angela knew he was ready for the next phase in his journey – his forever home.
Thankfully, Griff found the perfect forever home where he continues to thrive. He simply adores his new mom and likes to follow her around.
He went from a dog that hated any human interaction to purposely seeking love and affection, and that has to be the most beautiful thing ever.
His new mom loves making memories and taking pictures of her precious babies, and even has an official Instagram account dedicated to Griff and his progress, so feel free to follow it.