This Rescued Doggo Went From Being In Too Much Pain To Be Touched To Constantly Cuddling His New Dad
Some rescue stories start with heartbreak, and this one begins with a dog who could not even stand to be touched. ZIB, once known as Kong, was a 1-year-old Border Collie in Claremore, Oklahoma, dealing with painful skin disease and sunburn while living in a shelter.
His condition left him so sore that every bit of contact hurt, and his white fur was marked by bright red patches that made the neglect impossible to miss. Then a new home, a new name, and one very patient dad changed everything.
What happened next turned a painful rescue into a full-on cuddle story.
Truly, at this point in Kong's life, he was suffering.
The next stage in Kong's life involved being transported to Texas, where the Border Collie Rescue & Rehab in Prosper was dedicated to restoring the dog to his former glory and health.
On the organization's website, Kong was listed as #387. It would be detrimental to inevitably find him an owner, as only that person would have the right name for #387.
While some people need names to connect with animals, this was definitely not the case for Curtis Hartsell. He did not need #387 to have a name to fall completely in love with the dog while browsing the website. All he saw was a little white dog with big, sweet eyes and a genuine, eager smile.
Recently, Curtis spoke with The Dodo and said:
Despite his immediate affection for #387, Hartsell was concerned that his lifestyle was too busy and too active to properly care for the dog. He was working as a cyber threat intelligence analyst with a credit bureau based out of Little Elm, Texas, and was the very definition of busy. But none of that mattered when every bone in his body seemed to scream at him that adopting #387 was the right thing to do.
So, Hartsell submitted an application. He spoke fondly of the process:
Adoption is serious business.
Before Hartsell's application could be approved, he went through a rigorous application process that included multiple interviews and a home visit. Finally, the big day arrived—the day for the two to meet for the very first time!
And from that day forward, #387 would be renamed ZIB by Hartsell in honor of a famous Soviet space dog!
Hartsell explained the significance behind the name:
The moment Hartsell arrived at ZIB's foster home, someone whipped out a camera, and the moment captured speaks volumes. It is quite clear that what was witnessed was a lost, broken dog finding his true home. His place where he belonged was with Curtis Hartsell.
Curtis remembers it like it was yesterday:
Today, it is immediately evident that ZIB is where he belongs. Once a pup in too much pain to be touched, ZIB cannot get enough snuggles from Curtis.
Additionally, Curtis's initial concerns that he didn't have time to take on a dog have not only been obliterated, but Curtis is firm that his life has been significantly improved. He is no longer sure who saved whom.
Hartsell says:
Curtis added:
Ready for another miracle, see the “stone-skinned” pup transformed after a kind stranger stepped in.
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