One day, photographer Rebecca Rood was wandering through Whitfield County Animal Shelter when she spotted a dog named Stewart shrinking in the corner of his kennel. His body language told a tale of past trauma and fear.
Rood learned from a shelter worker that Stewart had been discovered tied up in the woods near Dalton, Georgia. A thick leather belt circled his neck, chafing his skin. When shelter workers tried to free him from the belt, he growled in fear. With all the hardship he had endured, it was clear that Stewart had little trust in humans.
Stewart was terrified of everything and everyone. He would not allow anyone to pet him or even approach him. “It was as if he was trying to disappear into the wall, hoping we would leave him alone,” Rood shared with The Dodo. Witnessing his fear was genuinely heart-wrenching.
Rood captured Stewart’s plight in a series of photographs, which she shared on Facebook. Her post caught the attention of Courtney Bellew, the director of Special Needs Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation (SNARR).
Bellew swiftly moved Stewart from the shelter to a veterinary clinic. There, they sedated Stewart for neutering and health checks. While he was under anesthesia, they managed to remove the torturous belt.
Once the belt was off, Stewart’s transformation was remarkable.
“The minute they removed it, it was like he shed his troubled past,” Bellew told The Dodo. “He woke up from anesthesia and started playing and wagging his tail.”
Bellew posted a video of the exuberant Stewart on SNARR’s Facebook page. It seemed as though Stewart realized he was safe, surrounded by people who cared.
Although Stewart has made significant progress, he still has a long road to recovery. Bellew is now searching for the perfect foster home where Stewart can continue to blossom and relearn trust in humans.
Bellew believes that Stewart needs a patient adopter with experience handling fearful dogs. “I envision him in a quiet, adult-only home, preferably without other dogs,” she says.
While Stewart’s past may remain a mystery, one thing is sure: he now has a team of caring individuals dedicated to ensuring he finds the perfect forever home.
Please share Stewart’s story with your friends and family.
