Norman’s Story

December 22, 2021 / Lynne Bengston /

Norman was found hopelessly stuck in kudzu vines, unable to free himself. It was clear that he’d tried hard to get out, but with every attempt he made to loosen the vine’s hold, he got more and more tangled. He was simply stuck with little hope of getting free. Thankfully, his cries were heard before it was too late. Norman was brought to The Safe House and it was obvious he was in rough shape and needed help immediately. While we didn’t initially know the extent of his needs, we could see his fur was severely matted and he was in pain. Even though he was in rough shape, right from the start he was so thankful to be safe and just wanted to be loved.

The first step was to remove the hard, matted fur from his body. It took a little over two hours, and Norman was such a good boy throughout the whole process. The next morning he got his first bath and got to play outside a little bit. We still were not sure the extent of his injuries and pain, so x-rays and a full evaluation were needed. The x-rays showed a previously broken femur and pelvis, both of which healed poorly. An old foot injury revealed severe damage, including the loss of some of his toes. It was clear Norman had been in immense pain from a variety of injuries, yet his spirit continued to shine and his gentle, loving nature showed. This sweet boy had been through so much, but no matter what, he was grateful and patient as we helped him heal and gain strength. He just trusted us.

In late August, Norman boarded our transport van to Minneapolis and moved in with his foster family. He immediately stole the heart of his foster mom and cautiously warmed up to the resident dog after a couple of days. This boy loves pets and snuggles and the opportunity to play. Norman discovered that he loves to hop around and play and go on walks. In just a few short weeks, he made so much progress and was ready for adoption and found his forever family quickly. It’s no surprise his new family was in love from the moment they met. Today, Norman continues to give all kinds of love and snuggles and has settled into life in his new home. Norman gets to go to work with his dad every day and hands down is the favorite co-worker! He adores “his” kids and loves to play with them.