For the first time in many months, a dog named Woody is once again feeling the warmth and love of caring companionship — a simple pleasure he had been waiting for, for so long.

When Woody’s owner died last year, no arrangements had been made to find him a new home, and instead he was cruelly abandoned and left to fend for himself outside. But the little dog, of course, had no way of knowing that his owner would not be returning, so he waited.

For a year he waited, holding vigil all alone cowering beneath a nearby shed, his hair matted and overgrown, concealing his emaciated body beneath. A few neighbors had taken sympathy on him and offered him scraps of food and water, but Woody needed more than sustenance. He needed love.

Eventually, someone contacted volunteers from Hope for Paws, a charity dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating neglected and abandoned dogs. Volunteers soon came to Woody’s aid, retrieving the exhausted animal from his hopeless lookout.

Woody was reluctant at first, but seemed to understand that they were there to help him, despite the long absence of human contact.

Once back with the volunteers, Woody’s transition from a mangy, unloved street dog to a cherished pet began with a shave and a bath.

While his physical transformation is certainly remarkable, it pales in comparison to the palpable rejuvenation of his spirit, and is each day growing stronger.

Now, after so many heartbreaking months of waiting in vain for love and affection, Woody has finally found it again.  Source: the dodo