When a dog has gone through traumatizing experiences, it can make it difficult for them to trust others again. Sadly, this hurts their chances of getting adopted or even fostered. Luckily, places like Cleo’s Legacy exists for this very reason. Rather than turning away “difficult” dogs, this volunteer-run rescue leads with the idea that no dog is “unadoptable.”
Videos by InspireMore
Instead, they insist that with enough time, care, and love, even the most anxiety-ridden rescue dog can learn to trust again. Mowgli is the perfect, adorable example. When this sweet boy first arrived at his new foster home, he refused to leave his cage if anyone else was in the room. But by day four, he accepted food from his foster parent’s hand, as seen in the video below.
@cleos.legacy Progress, not perfection. It’s been four days since Mowgli was rescued. He’s still very shut down, but each day, he’s a little more willing to let me touch him and accept food from my hand. Rescue doesn’t mean damaged—it means they’ve been let down by humans. With time, patience, and love, Mowgli will learn to trust again. Every small step forward is a victory. Thank you to everyone who supports our mission. Your kindness makes stories like Mowgli’s possible. Stay tuned for updates on his journey! #Rescue #MowglisJourney #ProgressNotPerfection ♬ Ethereal – Elie & Jiafei & Makaka
“Rescue doesn’t mean damaged — it means they’ve been let down by humans,” the caption of the video above reads. “With time, patience, and love, Mowgli will learn to trust again. Every small step forward is a victory.”
And so, every single day, Mowgli’s foster family did what they could to prove he was safe. And while he still didn’t trust them just yet, it was clear by the look on his face that he wanted to oh-so-badly. Thankfully, they never gave up on him. And because of that, on day 11, Mowgli voluntarily left his cage with someone in the room. Witness this huge moment in the video below!
@cleos.legacy If you’ve ever worked in rescue or rehabbed a dog, you know how big this moment is. Mowgli has not come out of the corner when someone is in the room since we rescued him. But today? He not only came out—he let me hand-feed him while out of his safe corner in his crate that stays open. That’s huge. At Cleo’s Legacy, we take in the underdogs, the hard cases, the so-called “unadoptables.” But we don’t believe in that label. Just like people, these dogs need time to heal, to trust again. Many have been abandoned, neglected, or worse—but we see them for who they truly are, and we fight for them. Mowgli is just one example of why we do this. Every small victory gets us closer to giving these dogs the life they deserve. #WeAreTheirVoice #UnderDogs #FosteringSavesLives #MowgliTheMagnificent #mowglisjourney ♬ Fix You – Dy Kamylle
“The healing has begun,” someone points out in reply to this heartwarming video, with another person adding, “The way he looks at you its like he’s slowly realizing he’s going to be okay and he’s allowed to be out of his crate. Poor baby, no dog should be this scared ever.”
It Takes Less Than Two Weeks for This Traumatized Rescue Dog to Start Trusting Again
Mowgli’s healing journey truly has just begun. Since finding the bravery to leave his cage, he’s made yet another huge leap of faith. When his foster parent attempted to place a collar on him, yet again, he actually let her!
@cleos.legacy #LIVEhighlights #TikTokLIVE #LIVE Day 15 with Mowgli the Magnificent It may seem like a small step to some, but for Mowgli, this is huge. For two weeks, we’ve been working on desensitizing him to a collar – slow, steady, and at his pace. Today, for the first time, he let me put one on him! These are the moments that remind us why patience and trust-building matter. Every victory, no matter how small, is worth celebrating. Way to go, Mowgli! #RescueJourney #MowgliTheMagnificent #SmallWinsBigProgress #UnderDogs #dogsoftiktok #adoptabull ♬ On My Lips – Nyx Professional Makeup
Videos like these serve as the perfect reminder of why fostering dogs, no matter their history, is oh-so-important and worth all the extra effort.
“Just like people, these dogs need time to heal, to trust again. Many have been abandoned, neglected, or worse — but we see them for who they truly are, and we fight for them,” the nonprofit shares. “Mowgli is just one example of why we do this. Every small victory gets us closer to giving these dogs the life they deserve.”
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