Alone in a public housing complex in Puerto Rico, an abandoned dog laid suffering and alone on a basketball court.
Someone in the area created a Facebook post, desperately hoping someone would be able to help.
The sweet, scared pup would need weeks of rehabilitation and healthcare.
Read on to see this dog’s incredible transformation and learn how a selfless woman and her rescue group gave this sweet pup his “lucky” break.
A Cry for Help
When a good samaritan came across a dog with horrible mange and other obvious problems laying, abandoned, they knew they had to do something.
The abandoned dog was in horrible physical condition.
He had lived in the basketball court for months, fending for himself.
He was fearful, and his mange was so bad he couldn’t even open his eyes.
The passersby were worried that, without help, he would not make it.
So, they made a post to Facebook to see if anyone could help save him.
Giselle Colón, the founder of OBRA, a rescue organization in Puerto Rico with the mission to rehabilitate and re-home stray dogs, came across the post and knew she had to do something.
This dog was hurt and scared, but his story doesn’t end there!
A Dramatic Transformation
Once in OBRA’s care, the dog was named Lucky, a fitting name for a rescue dog that would need so much love, care, and luck on his side during rehabilitation.
He needed to stay at the vet for 6-8 weeks to treat all of his injuries.
With treatment and patience, Lucky was able to open his eyes and slowly start to trust people again.
A friend of Giselle, Olga, volunteered to foster Lucky with her pack of 7 dogs.
“Now that the physical aspect of Lucky’s rehabilitation was improving, we started to rehabilitate his soul,” Giselle said.
Lucky was so sad and demoralized from the way his life had turned out.
He needed someone to help him realize things could be better.
Lucky needed to learn how to be a dog and how to interact with other dogs.
He didn’t know how to play, live inside a house, or receive love from others.
He needed a routine and the time and space to learn how to be a dog.
Lucky’s foster family provided the safety and structure that he needed, and with their help, he made a dramatic transformation!
Everyone was surprised by how quickly he improved.
“Once he started to receive love, you could instantly see the change,” Giselle said. “There were no more sad faces for Lucky.”
From there, it was only a matter of time before Lucky’s personality was truly able to shine.
A Star is Born
Lucky’s story touched many people’s hearts, and there were tons of followers worried about his health and wellbeing.
Lucky gained such a following thathe was put in the newspaper, on TV shows, and participated in campaigns across Puerto Rico.
“He became quite a big personality in Puerto Rico,” Giselle said, “because his story touched a lot of people.
Lucky had managed to catch the eye of one woman, named Mary Catherine, who seemed destined to give him his forever home.
“I knew that if anyone could heal his heart and soul, we could do it here,” Mary Katherine said.
From that point forward, Mary Catherine paid for all of Lucky’s care and travel expenses, both past and future.
“Since day one, she’s always told me ‘I know he’s meant to be mine,’” Giselle said.
But, after needing to stay with his foster family so long to recover from his time on the streets, he had gotten comfortable with his life there.
How would he transition to a new life with his forever family in Wisconsin?
Every Dog’s Dream
Despite struggling to leave his foster family at first, Lucky did very well during transport.
He adjusted to his new home quickly, where he was given a new name, Bo.
“We had no problem with the transition,” Giselle said. “That is how well he rehabilitated during his time here.”
Bo still had a bit of physical recovering to do in order to fully enjoy life with his new friends, but that would come with time.
His new best doggie friend, Louie, would help him with this.
“Louie has gotten him running and exercising and Bo can get out in a full run now,” Mary Catherine said. “It makes my heart just soar when I see him running with a big smile.”
Bo now spends his days happy and cared for, running around outside with Mary Catherine’s other dogs, Louie, Wishbone, and Chusa.
He’s extremely happy, and after receiving so much love and care, Bo now looks like a different dog than the scared, injured dog they first found.
Happily Ever After
Bo now has the freedom to find his favorite activities.
“He likes to find high places and perch himself and lay there and look out over the valley,” Mary Catherine says.
Mary Catherine will look around for him outside and find him at the highest point nearby, keeping an eye on everything to make sure none of his family members ever have to suffer like he did.
“My mission and my job with him are done. He is in the best hands and having the best life,” Giselle said, and that’s all anyone can hope for.
Thank you so much to Giselle Colon and members of OBRA who help dogs like Lucky every day find their own forever homes.