Do you remember the first time you saw the ocean? For many of us, it was a moment in our lives when we felt free, perhaps for the first time. We may have spent a long time looking at life from a very limited perspective but when you are standing on the shore and seeing the ocean stretch out in front of you, you suddenly realize that you are part of something much bigger. It turns out that it is not only people who feel that way, dogs apparently feel that way as well.
The German Shepherd in this video, Herschel, was chained up for the first five years of his life. It must’ve been quite difficult to live with such heartless owners and we can only imagine that he probably wondered if life would ever be different. Eventually, Herschel was rescued from his captivity and he became part of a bigger story that helps to give people hope, not only for animals but even for themselves.
Even though Herschel was horribly mistreated by his owners and neglected, he seems to be able to find happiness in almost anything that he does. When people are around he would constantly wag his tail and some even thought he was too aggressive to find a forever home. Placing him was not an easy task.
Unfortunately, Herschel was running out of time and if he wasn’t adopted, he would eventually be euthanized.
Eventually, things went in the right direction and he had a golden opportunity when he was part of the Rocky Kanaka’s show “Dog’s Day Out.” The host of the show is an entrepreneur and an advocate for pet rescue who travels the country and helps homeless dogs. When he took Herschel out, he said:
“He got to see snow for the first time, and he got to give free teddy bear hugs to be shown love. And that day got him enough awareness that now we’re taking a road trip from Los Angeles to deliver him to his new furever family that lives in Washington state.”
What most people loved about seeing Herschel is the way he reacted to the ocean when he saw it for the first time. That is also when his new family recognized something special. They said that welcoming him into their lives was like winning the lottery.
The reaction that Herschel gave when seeing the ocean is going to put a smile on your face and in your heart. Not only is he happy at what he is seeing, but he also seems to be somewhat puzzled because he had no idea that such a big ocean was out there.
He was also able to experience the sand and the salt of the sea, which is an amazing thing to have in your life.
Herschel couldn’t wait to feel the water so he pushed his face into the waves and was thrilled with what was happening.
“He was biting the waves, and jumping in and out like a dolphin. I don’t know if he’s dolphin or dinosaur, or Chewbacca or teddy bear, but I do know this: it brings happy tears to my eyes knowing that he’ll now be loved forever.”
Herschel got a new lease on life because he was picked for #DogsDayOut. You will love seeing this rescue story for yourself: