For 12 long years, Lenore lived outdoors — crowded in a pen with other dogs, exposed to the elements, and forgotten by the world. She’d never known a soft bed, a gentle touch, or the feeling of being safe.
So when rescuers from Labrador Friends of the South finally arrived to free her this summer, Lenore didn’t understand that her new life was about to begin.
“She’s having a really hard time,” volunteer Sarah Jones told The Dodo.
At the shelter, Lenore completely shut down. She pressed herself into corners, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Her rescuers described her heartbreakingly simple wish — to disappear.
“She hasn’t moved from this position,” the group wrote on Facebook. “She desperately wants to get away. She’s absolutely terrified.”
During her first vet exam, Lenore trembled and tried to hide in the corner of the room. Even as the team gently stroked her and whispered soft reassurances, she couldn’t bring herself to trust them yet. When she returned to her kennel, she turned her face to the wall again.
Years of neglect had taken a toll. Her ears were badly infected, her teeth were damaged, and her skin — thick and cracked from untreated infections — felt “like elephant skin,” Jones said.
A warm medicated bath seemed to bring her brief relief. But even in the comfort of the water, Lenore’s eyes still looked lost.
The rescue knew she needed more than medical care — she needed healing. Someone patient enough to sit with her fear and teach her what love feels like.
“She needs a special person,” the organization posted. “Someone very patient, who can be gentle but strong.”
And that person arrived.
Lenore’s foster mom created a quiet space with a cozy crate, soft blankets, and soothing piano music. For days, Lenore barely moved. She flinched at every touch. Her tail stayed tucked tight beneath her body.
But then — a small, beautiful breakthrough.
After two days, Lenore ate a piece of cheese.
After a week, she took a few brave steps out of her crate to accept another one from her foster mom’s hand.
It was a start.
From there, Lenore began discovering the simple joys of comfort and care: home-cooked meals, sweet potatoes, peanut butter oatmeal, even strawberry smoothies.
“Now, she sleeps with her head facing outwards and doesn’t try to hide when I enter the room,” her foster mom shared. “She wags her tail so hard when I say her name and bring in her meals.”
After more than a decade of surviving outside, Lenore is finally learning what it means to live — and to be loved.
And every time she lifts her face toward her foster mom, it’s clear she’s starting to believe she deserves it.
If you’d like to open your home and heart to Lenore, you can apply to adopt her through Labrador Friends of the South.
