Dog Trapped in Crate for Most of Life Travels Country to Celebrate New Freedom

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A surrendered pit bull had one dream – to see the world beyond the four wire walls of his crate.

It was this dream that kept a smile on his face, and it was this smile that melted the heart of one Raleigh woman.

Keep reading to hear the story of a pup and his human and the adventures that brought them together.

An Expensive Mistake

A North Carolina family was faced with a tough decision when their dog happened to eat a large piece of fabric.

Unable to pass the fabric naturally, the dog was going to need surgery.

Surgery to remove an obstruction can be very expensive, and unfortunately for this little pibble puppy, his humans did not have the funds to pay for what he needed.

Consequently, this dog, later named Mister, found himself taken out of his home and surrendered to a shelter, scared and in a lot of discomfort.

Luckily for him, Cause for Paws, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, was about to come to his rescue.

Million Dollar Smile

Cause for Paws was able to fund Mister’s surgery and get him back to his happy, smiley self.

It was this huge smile that caught the attention of Elizabeth Williams, a baker in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“The picture they had of him was him smiling directly into the camera. Because his head is so big, his smile is huge. It’s like his whole face,” laughed Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth saw Mister for the first time, she had recently said goodbye to two of her dogs, Daisy and Belly, and was still healing from their passing.

But Mister’s smile melted Elizabeth’s still broken heart.

“I was really on the fence about whether or not I was ready to get another dog,” shared Elizabeth.

Even so, Elizabeth decided to go visit Mister with his foster mom, Terri, to learn more about him.

Mister seemed very happy in his temporary home, but Elizabeth was about to learn about the sad situation he originally came from.

An Unhappy Home

Terri told Elizabeth that it seemed Mister had most likely been crated and neglected for a majority of his life.

He was too comfortable being in a crate for hours at a time. When he was out of a crate, he had no off button.

“This dog was jumping as high as my face,” Elizabeth said.

Mister had so much energy, and would need a lot of help learning how to properly control that.

Elizabeth thought long and hard and decided she was up for the challenge. Terri knew she had  found the perfect human for her foster pup.

But, that didn’t mean things were going to be perfect straight out of the gate!

Energizer Bunny

Mister was elated to have found a forever home with a loving human, but he had a little trouble containing that excitement.

“I let him into my apartment and he just took laps around the whole place,” recalled Elizabeth. “He couldn’t settle down on the couch, he didn’t know if he was allowed on the bed. He was just running, running, running.”

Free from a crate, there was so much to do; there was so much to see!

The next morning, the pair went on their first five-mile hike together. Mister felt like the happiest dog in the world.

“It took a long time to figure out what he needed in terms of exercise,” said Elizabeth.

Mister loved getting out and exploring. He and Elizabeth were hooked on going on adventures together.

They were ready to see the world.

Coast to Coast

“I took him on a cross-country road trip,” said Elizabeth. “We spent three weeks uninterrupted together.”

Mister was seeing the big world that he never knew existed. For the first time, Mister felt at peace.

Relaxed and happy, he drifted in and out of sleep in the car, waking up when Elizabeth would stop at a fun sight or hike.

“It took us a long time to figure each other out, and for him to figure out that he could relax,” explained Elizabeth.

After three weeks on the road, Elizabeth and Mister returned home – closer and happier than ever.

Fun in the Sun

Mister finally understood what it meant to be free and to be loved. Life was meant to be enjoyed with the ones you love – outside of a crate.

“Now that we understand each other, I really want to get him professionally trained so he can do crazy stuff like walk around the house with a treat and stay in one place,” said Elizabeth.

Mister does have one place that he would stay for hours – his beloved kiddie pool.

“He loves water. It’s his favorite thing in the world,” said Elizabeth.

When Mister isn’t lounging in the pool or trying to bite water from the hose, he can be spotted playing an intense game of half fetch.

“He doesn’t really bring anything back,” laughed Elizabeth.

But that’s okay. Elizabeth always knew she would need to go the extra mile for Mister, and that’s exactly what she signed up for.

Happily Ever After

“I really appreciate that I knew what I was getting into when I adopted him, because he’s a lot. Like a lot a lot,” shared Elizabeth.

Mister didn’t know how to behave when he wasn’t confined by four wire walls. With a lot of patience and love, he now knows there is an entire world to see.

“He’s wonderful but he requires a lot of patience,” said Elizabeth. “It’s not like you can walk into a shelter and walk out with any dog and give them the same life.”

Thank you to Elizabeth for caring for such a special dog and to Cause for Paws for an honest adoption process that placed Mister in the home he always deserved.

Learn more how you can help Cause for Paws by following them on Instagram!

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