Chained Dog Turns out to Be 'BESTEST' Boy

Zeus spent his first five years tethered with a heavy chain. His rescuers didn't know what to expect when they freed him. Five long years on a heavy chain [View this email in your browser]( Dear Friend, In many parts of the country, it's legal to keep a dog on a chain 24/7, as long as he has food, water, and rudimentary shelter. That was the sad reality for Zeus, despite years of efforts by a local rescue group. "Zeus was chained to a tree with a heavy chain for the first five years of his life," says Theresa Ridinger of Florida's Williston Animal Group. "Our team tried to talk to the owner about surrendering him to us, with no success." By this March, Zeus had developed a painful condition called cherry eye. A WAG volunteer enlisted a group of local men to convince his owner to surrender him. Finally, the owner agreed! When WAG volunteers unchained Zeus, "we weren’t sure what to expect," Ridinger says. "After all, he had been living a solitary life for a long time and was a big guy at 72 lbs." However, "it turned out that Zeus was the BESTEST boy: He was sweet, lovable, and enjoyed the attention of our volunteers. He was an absolute lovebug, with no aggression toward humans, dogs, or cats." Unfortunately, it wasn't smooth sailing from there. Zeus needed surgery on both eyes and turned out to be heartworm-positive. A Petfinder Foundation grant helped WAG pay for his care. "As Zeus was dealing with these medical issues, he quickly became a volunteer favorite," Ridinger says. "Bob and Sue, two of our volunteers, decided to foster Zeus to help him get through his recoveries." Bob and Sue soon fell in love with Zeus and decided that he belonged with them for good. And now he's making up for the years he lost at the end of a chain. "He bounces when he runs and his ears and tongue flap in the wind," Ridinger says. "He throws himself in the sand and rolls around with joy. He cuddles with his owners and the other dogs and cats in the home. Despite his large size, he is sure that he’s a lap dog." These days, "he enjoys riding on the golf cart, sleeping in the bed and playing with his dog and cat friends," Ridinger says. "Bob and Sue look forward to introducing Zeus to the ocean and camping. "This amazing dog went from a life of isolation and confinement to a life filled with love and joy. We are so happy that we finally freed Zeus from his chain and he’s given us more joy than we could imagine." "We are so happy for an excellent end to Zeus’s story," Ridinger says. "Thank you, Petfinder Foundation!" Petfinder Foundation grants help thousands of dogs like Zeus every year. [Your gift will help more pets like him.]( From all of us at the Petfinder Foundation, thank you for all that you do to help homeless pets. Emily Fromm Chief Development Officer The Petfinder Foundation [Donate]( [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow us on Facebook]( [Petfinderfoundation.com]( [Petfinderfoundation.com]( [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( Copyright © 2024 The Petfinder Foundation, All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you opted in at petfinder.com or petfinderfoundation.org, or because you donated to the Petfinder Foundation (thank you!). Our mailing address is: The Petfinder Foundation 4729 East Sunrise Drive #119Tucson, AZ 85718 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list]( [Mailchimp Email Marketing](