The sullen dog looked sad all the time and didn’t really trust people. It was found straying in the street, but at the time people had no idea that behind its stern face there was a gentle, affectionate creature who just needed love.
This sullen pit bull was picked up on the street in American Cumberland County all alone. It was brought to the local shelter, and it was only when they saw the dog that the staff became alarmed. They noticed immediately that the dog had a perpetually sad and sullen expression on its muzzle – so they thought it would be a challenge…
The pit bull was nicknamed Frank and shelter staff began to slowly find a way to approach it. The dog’s personality, however, sometimes matched its appearance – Frank could be aggressive and unpredictable. But the shelter staff did their best to show it what true love is and that the world is not such a bad place.
Using positive reinforcement, the volunteers patiently began to teach Frank good manners – such as how to ask for what it wanted without showing aggression, and how to walk on a lead. As the days went by, Frank began to trust its new friends and even play with them. It slowly realised that no one here would hurt it, and that it was accepted just the way it was.
Thanks to the volunteers, a few weeks later Frank “smiled” for the first time. Its sullen expression on its muzzle was replaced by joy in its eyes, and it became a happy doggie. “Frank has made great progress with the help of volunteers. He no longer growls at people when he meets them, which is a great victory for us,” the shelter staff say. Frank must have just needed a lot of love, because there’s no telling what this boy has been through before it was rescued…
Soon Frank will be sent to temporary care, and when it is fully ready, a permanent family will be found for it. In the meantime, the volunteers continue to develop its socialisation and trust in people, and it is making great progress. Be happy, Frank!
