Meet Jasper. He's a two-year-old Dane mix who has a beautiful, spoiled life with his family. He sleeps on the bed with his owner, Oliver, does zoomies around the house and has an abundance of toys and all the treats he could want.
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"Jasper bounded into our family larger than life and has captured our hearts," Oliver's mum Kendall said.
"From the moment he and Oliver met, they have been inseparable and love each other to bits.
"Jasper is still a big crazy puppy at heart and wants to greet each and every single person and animal in his path.
"He really is a beautiful boy, and we are so lucky to have him."
While he is exceptionally loved today, rewind 12 months before the Hammonds owned him, and it was a very different picture.
He was chained in a backyard, underfed and became infected with demodectic mange, which caused his hair to fall out and skin to become infected. He resembled a hyena. At this stage of his life, his name was Gus.
Fortunately, he ended up in foster care and arrived at my home one cold winter's day. I've been fostering dogs for three years, focusing on larger breeds.
Gus was the worst case of neglect I'd seen. At first, I was worried about how he would interact with my two dogs, but he was friendly and happy to have company.
Gus wanted love and affection, but patting him left a layer of oil on your hand due to his skin condition. He also smelled very musky. However, that didn't stop me or my housemate, Jordan, from giving him all the contact he wanted.
Gus was bathed three times a week in medicated shampoo. It was the middle of winter, so we did this in the shower with the hand-held shower head. He also took a course of antibiotics.
For the first few weeks in care, Gus would not fall asleep inside during the day. He would lay quietly with his eyes open, probably wondering what on earth was going on. Occasionally he would start crying. I'm not sure if this was growing pains due to his malnutrition or just his uncertainty. We made sure to keep him comfortable and reassure him.
When he did start to sleep inside, Gus would lie in the strangest positions - with his head and neck at opposite angles to his body - we assumed he got used to from living on a chain.
As a large breed who had been malnourished, it was essential to get him well fed to prevent any further issues with his bones and joints. He could not run, trot or even move quickly in the first few weeks in care. His back was arched upwards like a cat stretching its spine.
We had fears for his recovery; however, these fears were never realised as today he runs, plays and zooms like crazy.
As the months went on, Gus's hair started to grow back; he started running and playing; he was always happy to see new people and dogs and loved attention. He was truly the biggest goofball of a dog I'd ever met and was desperate for a best friend. He loved to roll in the grass, play and wrestle with other dogs, run around, play tug and generally live life to the fullest.
He was happy, healthy, had completed basic training, and his personality shone through; it was time to find him a home.
The adoption process is thorough but straightforward to ensure dogs go to the best-suited home. After going through a few applications, the perfect family popped up. They wanted a dog to be best friends with their son, and all Gus wanted was a best friend.
After speaking with the family, they came to meet him, and if all went well, they would take him home. I was coming home from walking Gus when they arrived. I handed the lead to Oliver, and Gus looked up at him and happily trotted off. It was an instant connection.
Once the paperwork was done, I said a quick goodbye to Gus and walked him to the car. He jumped in and sat next to his new best friend and smiled widely.
He didn't look back. That's when you know they've found the ideal home.