“There was something about him that just grabbed my heart immediately.”
As the cofounder of The Healing Hero Project, an organization dedicated to pairing veterans with rescue animals, Lauren Cook has encountered many fearful shelter dogs. However, when she first met Benny at a Texas kennel, something about the pup immediately stood out to her.
“He was so scared and so distrustful,” Cook recalled in a video for The Dodo. “But there was something about him that just grabbed my heart right away.”
Cook decided to foster Benny, knowing he would need plenty of love and patience. Fortunately, he had found a safe space where he could begin to adjust. The breakthrough came when Benny started taking treats from Cook’s hand.
“That was a huge milestone,” Cook said, smiling.
As Benny continued to make progress, it was time for him to start meeting potential adopters. Wearing a handsome blue bandana, Benny began his transition to a permanent home.
“The best part of this whole journey is that Benny is going to get his happy ending,” Cook shared. “I’ve seen such a tremendous change in him.”
Finally, Benny found the perfect person to call his own.
“I’m so happy to share the best Benny update ever,” Cook said in an Instagram video. “He is going to his forever home.”