Peanut’s entire three years of life were spent languishing at the end of a heavy chain in an isolated corner of his owner’s property.
This lonely existence may have been his ultimate fate if not for a wonderful woman named Russelline Steinbuhler. With the help of two Pennsylvania rescue groups, Hope for Erie Animal Wellness and Critter Camp & Cuts, Steinbuhler completely transformed Peanut’s life and gave him hope for a beautiful future!
Peanut was spotted chained to a filthy, dilapidated dog house when the fence separating his owner’s yard from a local bar fell down. Several people contacted the Humane Society to report the dog’s poor living conditions – including Steinbuhler – but no help came.
Luckily for Peanut, Steinbuhler refused to give up on him. She called Hope for Erie Animal Wellness and Critter Camp & Cuts who both agreed to join her crusade.
Over the course of the next two months, the rescuers educated Peanut’s owner on the perils of tethering and provided a brand new dog house, clean bowls, a lightweight nylon lead to replace his heavy chain, and a much more comfortable collar. They also laid hay to soak up some of the mud from his living space.
Steinbuhler visited Peanut regularly, teaching him to sit for visitors and playing a specialized version of fetch with the tethered pup by tossing his ball straight into the air. She used treats to teach him the “Look” and “Down” commands. Peanut proved to be a quick study!
Then came Pennsylvania’s new tethering laws. The rescuers discussed the upcoming changes – which take effect on August 28th – with Peanut’s owner.
The family decided it was best to officially surrender Peanut to the rescue group “when it became illegal for him to be left on the chain longer than 9 hours at a time or more then 30 min in extreme heat and cold,” Steinbuhler wrote in a Facebook update.
The team scheduled an official “Freedom Walk” for Peanut. When she arrived, Steinbuhler found him sitting atop his dog house, surprised and ecstatic to see his friend outside of her normal visiting hours.
Peanut grinned from ear to ear as Steinbuhler removed his tether – this time for good – and loaded him into the car.
The first stop was the Critter Camp & Cuts play yard where Peanut was able to act on his newfound freedom. Check out those joyful zoomies!
He also played ball completely free of his chains for the very first time!
Next, it was time to head inside for a thorough grooming session. According to Steinbuhler’s Facebook account, it took nearly three and a half hours to scrub Peanut clean and remove all the excess hair from his unkept coat.
What a handsome fella!
Have you ever seen a happier pooch??
Finally, the new and improved Peanut was off to his loving foster home. His host family is teaching him all about life as an indoor dog and he has plenty of room for zoomies on their 20 acre farm!
Peanut has since been neutered and is undergoing treatment for Lyme disease.
Today’s update from Hope for Erie Animal Wellness reads, in part:
“He is loving inside life!! He is taking to it seamlessly! He is doing very well in his crate and loves all his toys and attention! He was neutered and tested positive for Lyme but no worries we are on top of it and he is getting his meds! He met some new friends today and did fantastic with them! He is super friendly!”
What an incredible story of rescue and redemption!
H/T to Reshareworthy
Featured Images via Facebook/Russelline Steinbuhler
via Whisker Therapy