Terrified rescue dog undergoes heartwarming transformation after finding a loving home!

Austin, Texas - When Austin Pets Alive! took in a dog named Forrest, he was scared of everyone. They thought he was beyond help, but love and care changed everything.

This poor pooch was in such bad shape, rescuers weren't sure if he could be saved.
This poor pooch was in such bad shape, rescuers weren't sure if he could be saved.  © Collage: Screenshots/Facebook/Austin Pets Alive!

When Austin Pets Alive! rescued a pooch named Forrest in April, shelter workers didn't think he could be saved.

"Forrest was rescued from a horrific hoarding situation," Austin Pets Alive! wrote in their Facebook post. "He was overwhelmed, and unable to trust the world around him."

The little dog was so traumatized that the rescuers thought "euthanasia might be the best option."

Puppy abandoned in the woods finds help in the unlikeliest place
Dogs Puppy abandoned in the woods finds help in the unlikeliest place

Forrest was too terrified to move or even make a sound.

The staff described him as "shut down," but they didn't want to give up on him and decided to place him with a foster family.

This poor pooch had to learn to trust

Living with a foster family changed this pooch's life for the better!
Living with a foster family changed this pooch's life for the better!  © Collage: Screenshot/Facebook/Austin Pets Alive!

"Forrest's first days in foster care were silent and still, with this tiny 10-pound terrier mix sitting motionless for hours, too scared to make a sound," Luis Sanchez, communications director at Austin Pets Alive!, told Newsweek.

It took a lot of patience, love, and encouragement, but slowly Forrest began to change. A month after his rescue, the little dog wagged his tail for the very first time.

After that, he finally began to relax and trust his caregivers.

Cat's tragic secret uncovered by X-ray – how could he live like that?
Cats Cat's tragic secret uncovered by X-ray – how could he live like that?

"Today, Forrest is no longer the petrified pup we once knew," Luis gushed. After healing with his foster family, the pup was ready for adoption.

Luckily, this little dog found a family and got a new name for his fresh start!

"Now being called Zephyr, this little dog will never have to look back on his darker days," the organization shared on Facebook.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Facebook/Austin Pets Alive!

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