Are you ready for a second chance?

Startled, he looked up and saw a bright light.

Lying cold in a dark room, he was shaking,

not knowing what was coming his way.

Then he heard again – are you ready for a second chance?

He could only let out a meek whine.

And the bright light vanished.

…

Did you know that DOG spelt backwards is GOD?

Luca was ready for a second chance

Luca, the 4-year-old Pomeranian, was ready for a second chance. He was possibly used for breeding and kept in a hapless condition was unsure. But he was ready for his second chance at life, love and a forever home.

Sabrina was looking to adopt a second dog to be her first dog Boi’s companion. Boi, a 3.5-year-old Shiba Inu, came to Sabrina as a pup. Having stayed on a farm in Belgium, when Boi first moved to Amsterdam with his human, the city life and its strange sounds and ways made him anxious. When they moved to Dubai, Sabrina tired various things to calm Boi down. One day she thought of bringing home another dog to be a companion to Boi. And that was the day when Luca saw that bright light! Remember?

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When Luca met his forever human

When Sabrina met Luca, he was bald, patchy, smelt terrible and was severely under-nourished. Unfamiliar with positive human interaction, Luca was afraid and bit Sabrina a few times. “It broke my heart, but at that moment, I made a decision to give him so much love that he would learn to trust again. Luca did not know that there could be life outside a cage. That there will be enough food to eat. Even today, when he is well-fed, he still tries to eat sand.”

There was another thing to be earned – Luca’s trust. It took Luca a few months to trust Boi and his humans. Initially, he bit Sabrina and her partner and growled at Boi. But there was almost a silent understanding between them that Luca needed time. Even Boi was willing to help Luca. Along with a stable home and love, Luca also needed a lot of medical intervention. Numerous vet visits later, one doctor conclusively diagnosed his condition stemming from malnutrition. Slowly but surely, Luca transformed from a bald to a fluffball, from scrawny to healthy and from a scared to a confident doggo who now trusts Boi and his humans.

Companionship healed them

“When Luca feels scared, Boi reassures that no harm will be done. And when Boi feels anxious, Luca reassures that they are good. They are a team. We love going out for walks and also watch TV together. In fact, we have also done a video campaign together to raise awareness about animal welfare through our humans’ brand called Non Iridescent.”

This pack has a goofy side too. Boi is often caught stealing socks and occasionally a cheeseburger too. And guess what, he has even learnt to separate the pickle from the burger. While Luca has learnt to leverage the cute quotient by tilting his head around as if conversing with the humans. Sometimes, he also taps Boi on the feet, nudging him to go for walks.

So, when that bright light asked Luca: are you ready for a second chance? He actually was.