After spending many years as a volunteer at many animal shelters, what I can say is that many owners are seriously responsible for their dogs.
This is why we have experienced homeless dogs, desperate pants, puppies, and seek a second chance. Biggie, a handsome German shepherd, was no exception. Its story began in a not-so-pretty place: a Los Angeles riverbed left behind by its previous owner. But Biggie’s luck hasn’t run out, at least not yet. Fortunately, the water level was decreasing day by day, and Biggie had his chance. he could move around.
However, he was stuck in a situation with no way out. No one was allowed to enter the riverbed, and Biggie grew weaker and weaker from lack of food.
Fortunately, the suffering did not last forever. Biggie is saved!
Without the brave volunteers of Hope on Paws, Biggie would be just another part of the stray dog statistics.
Biggie’s story was special in some ways. He was already exhausted and on the verge of giving up. But thanks to a dedicated dog lover, he was able to pull through.
That’s how his rescue was achieved!
Biggie was trapped at the bottom of the river for several days.
When the HP team arrived on the scene, they learned that Biggie had been wandering the riverbed for several days. Locals threw food at him to keep him from starving, but nothing could get rid of this black and cream beauty.
To rescue him from the river, volunteers had to descend a 20-foot embankment without any safety equipment. They used a nearby ladder. He was half broken, so they tied him up with a leash and put him to bed. At first glance, it seemed like an achievable task, but in reality it was not so easy. To climb down the half-broken ladder, HP volunteers first had to climb over a fence and be extremely careful while climbing. When he finally hit rock bottom, he saw Biggie completely exhausted and afraid of him. Therefore, he had to take it slow.
He Was Reluctant To Leave
We can only guess why Biggie was so scared and reluctant to approach his savior, but I can tell you one thing with certainty – GSDs don’t get scared that easily!
Biggie’s fear was deeply rooted in some of the previous traumas he experienced along the way. But, he was partially exhausted, too, which added to his overall state of mind.
Still, with a little bit of convincing and a little bit of experience with dogs, the volunteer succeeded! He first offered Biggie some food to establish trust, which was warmly accepted by this beautiful canine.
A Touching Moment Between Biggie And A Volunteer
All heartwarming stories have their peak, and this was the cherry on top of this one! Biggie and the volunteer shared a beautiful couple of moments prior to his rescue. After he fed him, Biggie approached the volunteer, lied down, closed his eyes, and let the volunteer pet him.
It was that exact moment when Biggie let go and surrendered to his savior. It was as if he knew that everything was gonna be okay after that!
GSDs are masters of intuition and perceiving things, which is why it was not difficult for Biggie to realize that the volunteering crew was there to help him.
In a way, he showed affection, but simply didn’t have enough strength to be more enthusiastic about his rescue. So, the picture that went viral was of him laying down with his eyes closed and his mouth revealing a gentle smile.
Hope For Paws Team Does An Amazing Job
Biggie was finally rescued from the Los Angeles river in a box that a couple of volunteers pulled up. He was showing no reluctance or fear anymore, but he was still quite exhausted.
The HP team redirected Biggie to Coastal German Shepherd rescue, and their staff made sure the puppy got sufficient medical care in the center.Biggie was immediately fed, bathed, and checked for possible diseases. Once a family dog, Biggie was now in the good hands of the Hope for Paws team.This is not the first time these hard-working animal lovers have done such a thing. They’re helping all kinds of animals on a daily basis, selflessly giving all of their energy to save as many lives as possible.
