Who's Such a Good Dog?! YOU ARE!

Okay, I just blubbed my face off for one million years at this video of Hope for Paws rescuing this blue heeler who'd been living under a dumpster for 11 months.

Zelda is one-quarter Australian Cattle Dog (aka blue heeler), and despite her obvious shar-pei ears and neck wrinkles, and her husky coat, the rest of her—her stocky little body, her movement, and especially her giant grin—are all blue heeler.

Between the familiar grin and the fact that Zelda was a stray before she was rescued, I'm pretty much just a heap of joyblubs now.

Text onscreen over video of a car pulling into a lot with a couple of dumpsters: "Hope for Paws received a call about a scared dog living under a dumpster." A man and a woman in the car talk about spotting the dog.

Text onscreen: "The dog had been abandoned there 11 months prior, and he would hide when anyone came near. A Good Samaritan left him food and water daily while searching for help."

The woman throws bits of a cheeseburger to the dog, who is crouching in the dusty space underneath the dumpster. She speaks to him in a soothing voice and urges him closer with more food. The dog begins to slowly move toward her. He takes the food right from her hand, and then pokes his head out.

Just as he is about to emerge, a stranger can be heard coming up to speak to the rescuers, and the dog scurries back under the dumpster. They begin the slow process of coaxing him out once more.

The woman reaches in, offering the dog some more food and gingerly strokes his cheek, which seems to startle him in a way that being touched after a long absence of contact does. He comes closer to her, but keeps his back legs underneath the dumpster. Almost there.

They tempt him with the burger to put his head through a leashed collar, and slowly, gently, close it around his neck. When he starts to pull backward, they let him, giving him just enough slack so that he can't go all the way back under the dumpster. In time, they urge him away, and they pet his head and then carefully lift him to carry him to the car.

Text Onscreen: "Lisa Arturo suggested we name him Cowboy. After a nice warm bath, Cowboy's sweet personality started to shine through."

Cut to Cowboy in the shelter with a huge grin on his face, getting his head pet and hearing what a good boy he is. Cut to Cowboy playing investigating a tiny kitten, then leaping from the floor into his foster mom's arms.

Text Onscreen: "Cowboy loves his foster mom, Chelsea Fragnoli." He hugs her and licks her face. "Oh I love you!" she tells him.

Cut to Cowboy visiting another dog. Text Onscreen: "At the hospital, Cowboy visited PJ who was rescued the previous day."

Cut to Cowboy in his forever home, in the backyard beside a pool, playing fetch with his new family. Text Onscreen: "When Cowboy was ready, our friends at Coastal German Shepherd Rescue found him an amazing forever home!"

Love with so many hearts!

[Via the Animal Rescue Site.]