The life of this stray dog was completely turned around when rescuers took him in. However, this terrified dog remained “shut off” from the world for 10 days after the rescue.
When Eldad Hagar, the organization’s founder, and his associate, Lisa Chiarelli, went to rescue Benji, they realized the dog’s condition was worse than what they’d expected. They knew they had to catch Benji in order to give him a better life.
However, when Benji sensed what Hagar and Chiarelli were up to, he got nervous and started running for his life. He ran as fast as he could before he came to a dead end in a nearby yard. The terrified dog turned around to escape, but Chiarelli immediately closed the gate—and after a fierce struggle, they finally grabbed hold of him using a catch loop.
However, Hagar managed to calm the scared dog down before Chiarelli placed a leash around his neck. Benji was then rushed to the veterinarian, where his 3 pounds (approx. 1 kg) of badly mangled fur was shaved off.
Hagar uploaded Benji’s rescue photos on Flickr with a brief caption to describe each one of them.
While shaving off his neglected fur, the rescuers were shocked to see many fleas and ticks hidden underneath it. After Benji was deloused, showered, and given medical care, Chiarelli took him home.
Eventually, Benji looked simply cute and fluffy with all his fur regrown—he was happy, both mentally and physically! Not long after, Benji was adopted by a loving family.
At last, Benji received a second chance at love.
