LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – The Kentucky Humane Society's Sam Swope Pet Retreat opened one year ago and has since rehabilitated more than 200 dogs, finding the animals their forever homes.
Pit bull “Charming” is the latest success story.
Life as Charming is pretty good these days.
"His name suits him, he is charming, he is an incredible dog,” Kentucky Humane Society Sam Swope Pet Retreat Behavior Manager Kat Rooks said.
He is an incredible dog that had a not so incredible start.
His life before the Pet Retreat is hard to hear about. He was found in a field in Glasgow, Kentucky in the fall of last year. His ears had been bitten off, and his days were numbered.
"He had hundreds of bite wounds all over his body and he was rail thin- pretty close to death at that point in time,” Rooks said.
Barren River Animal Welfare Association, known as BRAWA, rescued Charming.
Nursing him to health for four months and knowing for him to find his forever home he needed something more – something he found through Kentucky Humane Society.
"This is definitely a place for a second or sometimes third, or fourth chances for the dogs who come here,” Rooks said.
The pet retreat specializes in dogs who aren't adoptable, yet.
"This is animals that are shy and fearful, animals that might show some guarding or reactive behavior, or dogs that who just don't make really good choices in terms of jumping on people and grabbing at them opposed to greeting them politely,” Rooks said.
Each animal receives an individual training plan that includes exercise, games and training.
The dogs will stay as long as it takes to learn how to live as part of a family. For Charming, that stay was only a couple of weeks.
Quickly learning to listen and becoming a fast fan of belly rubs.
"That's his favorite thing – is getting love from people,” Rook said. “As soon as he sees a person his little body starts wiggling, his tail starts wagging, his little toes start tapping back and forth doing this little happy dance."