When officers in San Antonio, Texas, responded to a call about an animal lying helpless in the road, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
At first, it wasn’t even clear what kind of animal they were looking at. Beneath a mountain of filthy, matted fur was a dog — so neglected that even his gender was impossible to tell.
The officers rushed him to San Antonio Animal Care Services, where the medical team quickly stepped in.
“He had to be sedated for the mats to be safely removed,” Cynthia Martinez, chief operations officer for the shelter, told The Dodo. “In the end, they shaved off 6 pounds of mats.”
What they uncovered was heartbreaking: a severely underweight, 8-year-old cocker spaniel.
When Cocker Spaniel Rescue of Austin and San Antonio learned about him, they knew they had to help.
“He was the worst case I’d ever seen,” rescue worker Rebecca Payne said. “We wanted to give him the happy life he deserves.”
They named him Hamish and rushed him straight to the vet. Years of neglect had left him emaciated, his nails painfully overgrown, and his teeth in such poor condition that he could barely eat.
He ended up losing most of them during surgery — just 11 teeth remain out of 42.
But Hamish’s story didn’t end in tragedy.
After weeks of treatment, regular meals, and gentle care, he began to transform.
He started gaining weight, exploring his foster home, and even making friends with another rescue pup.
Though he still needs sweaters to keep warm until his body recovers, Hamish has discovered the joy of life without pain — running around freely, wagging his tail, and even investigating new treasures, like an air mattress in his foster mom’s house.
“He looks like a grumpy old man,” Payne admitted with a laugh, “but he’s actually the sweetest, most loving dog. For all he’s endured, he’s still one of the friendliest we’ve ever rescued.”
Today, Hamish is unrecognizable from the broken pup found in the road. His eyes are bright, his spirit is strong, and soon he’ll be ready to find a forever family in Texas.
For now, he’s busy soaking up love, proving that with care and kindness, even the most neglected dogs can bloom into something beautiful.
If you’d like to support Hamish or learn about adopting him, visit Cocker Spaniel Rescue of Austin and San Antonio’s website.
