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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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An 8-year-old rescue dog with a harrowing past has been celebrating a breakthrough in confidence after six years in a U.K. shelter.
Solly was captured in Romania on a catch pole, a long pole with an attached noose at one end. Since the capture, he has suffered serious post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
But at the close of last year, Solly's carers were amazed when he allowed a dog handler to stroke him—marking a significant milestone in his progress.
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"We got harrowing pics of him being dragged into a kill shelter in Romania and left for dead," Emma, founder of Dogs 4 Rescue, told Newsweek, explaining that the ordeal left the dog with "PTSD."
"Without realizing how damaged he was, we brought him over in 2018 and started working on his rehab," she added.
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Solly's aversion to human touch was so severe that he would react with distress, screaming as if in pain. But after years of dedicated efforts, the breakthrough came unexpectedly. "One day he gave in—we never expected it," Emma said, adding: "And now, only weeks later, he is loving his strokes. Absolutely the most surprising breakthrough of all our dogs ever. Solly teaches us we are right to never give up."
The rescue shared the good news on their TikTok page, @dogs4rescueuk.
In the comments on TikTok, people shared their reactions to the good news and Solly's new-found confidence.
"Love this," said one viewer, while another said Solly was a "little angel."
Despite the progress, Solly's journey is far from over. Emma acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead, especially introducing a lead and collar. "Touch is one thing, a lead and collar another, and we will continue to try and introduce these things, but we will never push him as we do not want to set him back," she said.
But for Solly, who has spent most of his life in the shelter's safe environment, the rescue believe he is unlikely to find his own forever home. "Having been with us most of his life in our safe bubble, I doubt he will get a home of his own, but he loves it here, and we will keep trying," Emma said.
The rescue hopes that Solly will be able to go to a foster home with a large secure garden as an interim step while his confidence continues to grow.
Emma hoped that sharing Solly's story will help others understand the uniqueness of semi-feral dogs: "[They] are so special and helping them learn to live and love is beyond rewarding. It takes special people to open their homes to them."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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