Saiga spent the first 15 years of his life on the end of a chain outside. And when his health finally started to decline, then and only then did his owner decide to remove the tether. But when he did this, the dog ran away.
In stepped Olga. The rescuer found the dog lying outside of a random house in need of love and care. The woman got the good boy to the vet for a much-needed checkup, and he’d have some hurdles to clear. But one year later, Saiga is a completely different dog living a completely different life. You have to see it.
The Labrador-chow cross-breed was left tethered to a rickety doghouse which offered little protection from brutal winter weather, according to Guardians of Rescue.
But footage has revealed the moment Bear has his chain cut by animal rescue workers, telling him: “You’re free!”
And the rescue group promised to find the elderly pooch a warm, cushy, indoor home to live out the rest of his life.
“We received a call about a dog in need of a doghouse,” said Robert Misseri, the group’s founder and president.
“But when we got there it was even worse than that.
“That’s when we discovered the poor dog had spent his whole life attached to a heavy chain.
“We knew then and there that we had to do something to make a difference in that dog’s life – and so we did.”
Bear is now at Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue in Port Jefferson Station, waiting to be adopted.
He’s been given a clean bill of health and all his vaccinations.
“We come across a lot of chained-up dogs and you can’t get near them because of their frustration of being chained up – but that wasn’t the case here,” said Misseri, who believes an older owner might best suit Bear.
“When we arrived, he was wagging his tail. He greeted us. He’s great with people.”
