Neglected Dog Sees Ocean For The First Time And His Reaction Is Priceless
Animal lovers alike understand the importance of meeting their pets' needs: exercise, socialization, a healthy diet, and fresh drinking water. And, of course, an endless supply of love and affection, which is returned to us tenfold by our pets.
Most pet owners would do anything to keep their pets happy and safe. They’re an extension of our family and are loved as such.
Sadly, that isn’t always the case for some animals. Take Herschel, a giant floof of a German Shepherd who spent the first five years of his life neglected.
Tied to a pole in a backyard with infrequent meals, no socialization, and no freedom from the chain keeping him in place, Herschel suffered greatly. When rescuers finally reached him, they noticed that his teeth had been worn down from chewing on his chain.
Thankfully, his original owner was convinced to allow Herschel to be taken to a local animal shelter to find a better home. Unfortunately, Herschel went through two different families, believing each time that he had found his forever home, only to be returned to the shelter.
Due to his lack of socialization and his energetic, love-starved demeanor, he seemed too difficult for them to commit to a lifelong relationship.
Meet Herschel
Eventually, an animal rescue organization, Michelson Found Animals, came to the rescue. They heard about Herschel’s awful story and were determined to ensure he would never experience neglect or rejection again.
Rocky Kanaka, the host of Dog’s Day Out, was the perfect person to introduce Herschel to an audience in order to increase his chances of finding his forever home. And that’s exactly what happened.
Fresh Mountain Air
A viewer in Washington State saw the episode about Herschel and fell in love with the sweet German Shepherd. Her name was Kim, and she was eager to meet Herschel and adopt him into her family.
Rocky and Herschel were in Los Angeles at the time, so getting him to Kim meant they would have to go on a road trip to bring Herschel to his new home.
Snow Day!
Before bringing him to his forever home, Rocky thought about all the things they could do on the long drive ahead. Herschel had five years of being chained up to make up for, and Rocky wanted to ensure he got to experience some of the best things in life while they had time together.
Their road trip started with a mountain adventure to play in the snow. Herschel truly enjoyed playing in the cold, fluffy snow.
No one could get enough of him
With the snow adventures completed, they continued on, making a pit stop so Herschel could experience and enjoy unconditional love and affection. They had friends holding signs advertising Free Teddy Bear Hugs, with Herschel being the Teddy Bear, of course.
Treats Galore
Afterward, they stopped to enjoy a custom “Dog Day Out” cupcake, slurped on a puppuccino, and gobbled down a burrito from Chipotle.
Beach Time, Babes
However, according to Herschel, the number one experience was seeing the ocean for the first time.
The *Moment* That Went Viral
Seeing the ocean for the first time absolutely blew Herschel’s mind.
First Time Swimming
He couldn’t contain his excitement; he began barking and yelping with joy and curiosity. He was jumping and running at the end of his leash, desperate to get into the water as soon as possible.
Jumping, Splashing, Eating Waves
Once he got into the water, he was elated, splashing around, running, and trying to catch the waves.
Can't. Get. Enough.
Herschel’s pure, unbridled excitement led Rocky to joke, “I’m not letting go of the leash; he might swim off to San Diego for all I know.”
Finally, Meeting Mom
When they arrived at Kim’s house, Herschel’s new home, Kim was just as excited as Herschel was to meet him. Kim sat on the ground with him, giving him lots of love and belly scritches.
He's found his forever home.
Check Out the Video That Captured It All!
After Five Years of Neglect, Herschel Got a Chance to Truly Enjoy Life.
Herschel was given an incredible adventure that he’s sure to remember for the rest of his love-filled life. He experienced all different types of treats, brisk snowy mountain adventures, warm sandy beaches, car rides, and a forever home.
If this story warmed your heart, brought a tear to your eye, or just made you smile on the inside, give your pet a hug for me and share this with your family and friends.
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