More than 40 dogs were rescued by the Humane Society of Houston of a horrible hoarding case where all the dogs lived in a broken down trailer amidst dirt and rubbish.
One of these dogs was also an elderly Chihuahua named Toothless.
Considering the horrible living conditions and everything these poor dogs have been through, it’s no surprise that Toothless is very wild and suspicious.
However, that quickly changed when a kind-hearted lady decided to give him a chance and adopt him.
Toothless’s story
According to Madeleine Cantrell (Toothless’s mother) of Houston, this little dog was very wild and wary at the time of the rescue, suggesting that he and all other dogs have had very little human interaction throughout their lives.
The place and conditions they lived in were absolutely horrible. The caravan was literally filled with feces and trash, and they probably had to fight for what little food they had.
Once Toothless arrived at the Houston shelter, he continued to growl and bark constantly at everyone, even trying to bite those who tried to manipulate him.
Having worked at the Houston shelter for a long time, Madeleine couldn’t help but help the dogs after hearing their heartbreaking story.
“My colleague and I opened the kennel and we had a towel, so we put it on him and he froze. We discovered that he didn’t really react with aggression. It was more [out of] fear. He was very confused because he only lived in trash and messy furniture his whole life. Madeleine told GeoBeats Animals.
He just didn’t know how to interact with humans. He was just scared.
Despite the less good first impression, Madeleine still wanted to welcome him and give this poor dog a second chance.
They discovered he was covered in fleas and had no teeth, so she decided to name him Toothless.
From “wild” to loving
When Madeleine brought Toothless home, everything started to change.
At first, he ran away from her out of fear and tried to brush her off a little several times, but the next morning, he was already a completely different dog.
When she first held him, she could see that he didn’t know what love really felt like.
“The next day he was a completely different dog. I brought him to work with me again, and he was pawing my legs because he wanted to be held. said Madeleine.
It seems that in 24 hours, His heart softened and he truly realized that he loved being loved by someone.
A few days later, Madeleine officially adopted Toothless and they are now inseparable.
“He’s one of the sweetest little dogs I’ve ever had, even though he just lets his guard down for me. Toothless has fallen in love with my other dog, Sunshine, and he loves playing with her and snuggling with her. Honestly, I was never a Chihuahua before this, but it gave me a soft spot for them,” Madeleine wrote on an Instagram job.
Today, Toothless is living the best life of his life. He loves his mother and is very clingy and protective of her.
He’s still receiving treatment for heartworm, but as for his eyes, they’re not sure what happened to them. Otherwise, he is a healthy and happy senior dog.
“A lot of times people are willing to neglect dogs like this. I just think they are very grateful to their adoptive families and it will be the best love you have ever known. concludes Madeleine.
The story of Toothless is a true example of how important it is to save dogs and give them a second chance, because it can literally change their lives forever.
