Just like babies, puppies need room to grow. In their first few months, they go from tiny fluffballs to big, clumsy cuties.
By the time he was two years old, pit bull mix Landis should have been fully grown. Sadly, though, he’d spent most of his life confined to a cage that was way too small for his developing frame. When workers at a Georgia shelter contacted volunteers with Second Chance Rescue in New York City to see if they could take the abused pup, they took one look at his photo and immediately stepped in.
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“To look at him, you would guess he’d been forced to grow up in & live in a small cage. Well, guess what, you’d be right!! Where do these monsters come from that walk among us?!” the rescue group wrote on its Facebook page.
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Landis, previously known as Gargoyle, was finally in good hands, though.
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He received treatment from an orthopedic specialist, who advised against surgery since it would be extremely painful – and he was showing noticeable signs of improvement in the short time he’d been rescued.
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As he continued to improve, and his sweet personality emerged despite years of abuse, word started to spread and adoption offers rolled in by the dozens. Within a month, he’d found the perfect home with a family in Cape Cod, Massachusetts!
From here on out, sweet Landis would never have to worry about being confined to a cage – or abused in any way – ever again.
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His forever family lived just blocks from the beach, where running in the sand (along with his two four-legged siblings) would help strengthen his legs…
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Of course, Landis still had a ways to go, so the fact that he also lived just minutes from a facility that offered hydrotherapy treatments was an added bonus!
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Jacquelyn O’Sullivan of Second Chance Rescue had this to say about neglecting pets:
(Dogs) cannot take care of themselves. We see way too many neglected and abused animals. Ask for help before they end up in horrible shape. No living creature deserves to be abused or neglected. Treat them like part of your family. Remember that dogs feel pain and experience sadness.
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Second Chance has since launched a Facebook page called Project Landis so fans can stay up to date on the pup’s life in his forever home. The account also serves as a platform where he can help advocate for other rescues who would thrive with the same TLC he received.
If you’d like to see where Landis is today, go here, and don’t forget to share his wonderful story of overcoming all odds!
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