A few years ago, Good World Animal Rescue & Protection (GWARP) took in a dog named Milton who had been through a lot. His previous owners had purchased him from a breeder, then severely neglected him.
“[He] was taken to a yard where he was tied up for
years,” GWARP founder Kamilla Mishiyeva said in a video for The Dodo. “Without any proper food, clean water or any kindness.”
As Milton’s owners continued not taking care of him, his health started steeply declining. He developed mange, his body became covered in sores and his fur started to fall out.
Milton’s owners abandoned him outside when his health issues became too much for them to want to deal with. He wandered the streets all alone until rescuers from GWARP took him in and got him back on his feet.
The care team at GWARP got started on getting Milton back on his feet right away. They treated him with antibiotics, ointments, supplements and a healthy diet. Slowly but surely, Milton started to gain weight and his fur started to grow back.
"[A]fter five long months … Milton was unrecognizable,” Mishiyeva said.
When Milton’s fur fully grew back, the rescue team was amazed by how thick, long and shiny his coat was. They were shocked to discover that Milton was actually a husky.
Around the time Milton was starting to get back on his feet, GWARP rescued two orphaned baby bears. The rescue decided to bring them to their dog sanctuary to see if being around other animals might help them adjust to their new environment.
Understandably, after everything Milton had been through, he didn’t feel super comfortable around people or other dogs. But they wondered whether he might feel more at ease with the cubs. Sure enough, he took to them right away.
“Milton immediately stepped in as their protector,” Mishiyeva said. “He watched them, followed them everywhere, and let them smother him with cuddles and play.”
Spending time with the bear cubs helped Milton find the confidence he’d been missing. Once he started feeling more comfortable around people, he was brought in by a foster, who quickly decided to permanently adopt him.
“[W]ithin days, she called us crying,” Mishiyeva said. “She couldn’t let him go.”
Now Milton’s days of neglect and loneliness are nothing but a distant memory for him. Thanks to everyone at GWARP and to his bear friends, his life is full of love.
