When Squishy the hound dog was born to a family of breeders, they immediately noticed his differences.
At first, it was hard to tell exactly what was wrong.
But as Squishy grew older, the truth was revealed.
Sadly, his family had no sympathy for him.
Poor Squishy was being punished for something out of his control.
A Shameful Secret
Squishy’s breeder family discovered he had a short spine, making him look different than the standard hound dog.
Instead of taking him to a vet for help, his family hid him.
They were afraid of what the vet might say to them about their irresponsible breeding practices.
Whenever they had guests over, they’d put him in the backyard where no one could see him.
Squishy never received any vet care.
It was clear he was being neglected by his owners.
However, little Squishy’s luck was about to change.
Squishy’s Lucky Break
Squishy’s owners were about to move and didn’t plan on taking him with them.
They began posting his pictures online, looking for someone to take him off their hands.
In their search, they came across a Florida woman named Julie Leroy who also had a dog with a short spine.
The family reached out to Julie and informed her that Squishy would end up in the shelter if he wasn’t rehomed before they moved.
Fortunately, Julie was kind enough to help the family find for a foster home for Squishy.
She contacted the Utah Animal Advocacy Foundation in Salt Lake City, and they agreed to take Squishy for the time being.
That was when Squishy’s life started changing for the better…
A Foster Family To Love
Once Squishy arrived in Utah, it didn’t take long for someone to volunteer to be Squishy’s foster family.
“Squishy immediately went into a foster home and it was like he had known their house the entire time,” said Sally, a foster and volunteer for the rescue group.
Now that Squishy finally had a foster family, it was time for him to go to his very first vet appointment.
“He was actually pretty healthy for a dog who’d never received medical attention,” Sally shared.
His foster couldn’t believe that he had almost no health issues, despite having never seen a vet.
Things were finally starting to look up for Squishy!
Little did he know, there was something bigger in store for him…
New Family, New Adventures
Squishy’s foster had to go out of town for two weeks.
Having no one to care for the pup, his foster reached out to Sally to ask if she could watch Squishy in her absence.
Sally immediately agreed, especially since she fell in love with Squishy at first sight.
“I met Squishy at the clinic. I would see him for half an hour here and there,” Sally shared.
When Squishy arrived at Sally’s home, he fit right in with her other dogs.
“He got along with all of our dogs just fine. They would play together and he just did great with them,” Sally recalled.
Seeing how well Squishy integrated into their family, Sally and her partner, Joe, realized that sweet Squishy belonged with them.
“So, when his foster returned and told us we could bring Squishy back, we just forgot to bring him back,” Sally and Joe joked.
They made sure it was okay with his foster and the rest is history!
Living A Life Full Of Joy
Life still isn’t all rainbows and sunshine for Squishy.
Health complications from his short spine makes his life difficult at times.
“With a more compressed chest, Squishy has a hard time doing exercises. He can’t go on long hikes or walks anymore,” Sally shared.
Luckily, Squishy had an excellent support network!
Sally and Joe were always there to cheer him up on his worst days.
Apart from his breathing issues, Squishy seems to be one of the healthiest dogs in Sally and Joe’s pack.
In fact, the vet says that his X-rays are completely normal, aside from his spine being shorter than most dogs of his type.
Squishy won’t let anything slow him down.
He doesn’t even think he’s different from the rest of his siblings.
“He is definitely one of the bosses of the house. He loves to shake rope toys and bounce around with them. He loves to go on walks,” Joe and Sally shared.
Joe and Sally make sure Squishy feels as loved and appreciated member as any other member of their family.
“We don’t think of him as different at all. He’s just a normal dog and a part of our family,” Joe said.
Thanks to Sally and Joe, life has never been so good for Squishy!
He’ll never he hidden and neglected as a shameful secret ever again.
Joe and Sally could’t be more proud of their sweet boy!
Follow Squishy on Instagram to keep up with all his fun activities!
Kathleen
Monday 24th of January 2022
Thank you for caring and loving enough to do that you're an angel all of you I'm so glad that baby has someone who loves him and take care of him.there was no reason in hiding him from anyone he's bueatiful
Rob M Thompson
Monday 24th of January 2022
Squishy has a better soul than the breeder's who cruelly bred him and then abandoned him. ADOPT! DON'T SHOP! Breeder's are monsters who don't care one iota about the misery they perpetuate.