After being homeless his whole life and never experiencing human contact, Benji was scared of people. But when the animal rescue agency Hope for Paws got a call about Benji, a stray pup who was homeless and living on the street, they did everything they could to rescue him. Benji ran and hid beneath a vehicle when rescuers came for him, and then he darted out into a busy street. Instead of getting hit by a car, he ran into a church yard and made it pretty easy for rescuers to trap him and give him a better life. At Hope For Paws, the rescuers were determined to get this little dog to like people so that he could find a forever home.
Rescuers named the dog Benji and gave him a lot of time to adjust to what would be the beginning of his new life. He looked like a completely different dog after his flea bath and shave. Benji had been so matted down with his fur and ticks that it took rescuers several hours to get him groomed up. After that, he spent his first ten days looking for a place to hide and barely moving or interacting with anyone if he could help it.
According to Eldad Hagar, Hope for Paws’ animal rescue co-founder, it was hard for Benji to learn to trust. After spending some time at the vet and getting cleaned up, Hagar said that Benji was one of the worst matting cases he had ever seen. But now the dog’s soul has healed, Hagar says.
Benji has since found his own personal happiness after a sad and solitary life on the streets. Rescuers helped Benji to meet and bond with two other rescue pups. Benji learned that he liked to play with other dogs. He has sprung into his new life, playing and tumbling around with his fellow furry friends and allowing people to play with him too. After five months, Benji is finally healthy and happy and is looking for a family to adopt him.