The warm heart warms the sad dog

Unlike humans who have relatives and social organizations to seek help from when struggling with life, stray animals have no one or no place to rely on. Their only hope is kind-hearted people who hopefully spot them someday and give them a better life. Some animals have to deal with so many problems that they can’t make it until they meet their savior. Luckily, the story about Napoleon didn’t stop with such a sad ending.

People often saw a big pit bull mix wandering around Houston, Texas. The 3-year-old dog had no home to belong to and had to live off scraps from Good Samaritans.

When a kind person finally informed this miserable pup to the animal shelter This is Houston, the rescuers wasted no time picking him up at an emergency vet hospital. Everyone was shocked to know he was suffering from a diaphragmatic hernia, meaning his organs moved up into his chest. His health problem was so serious that the vets operated on a 5-hour surgery immediately to save him. No one could say he would recover for sure.

“They said it may have been something that slowly happened over time,” Laura Forma, cofounder of This Is Houston, shared. “One of the surgeons said it was one of the worst cases of a diaphragmatic hernia they had seen.”

“We have been following his story since the beginning,” Tina Kempken, Napoleon’s new mom, explained. “I remember seeing his story and thinking ‘If he is still around in a few months when we get a house with a yard, we have to get him.’”

“We went to his foster mom’s house and we instantly fell in love with his sweet face,” Kempken added. “Since bringing him home, we have learned he loves romping in the yard and snuggling. He forgets he is almost 90 pounds.”

Though Napoleon was timid at first, he quickly got used to his new house with his loving parents. He enjoys playing with plush toys and has a close relationship with his puppy brother, Snoopy. After all the struggles he has been through, he finally receives what he deserves!

“We know good things take time and we are glad that everything happened the way it did, because it led to his forever after,” Kempken said. “Napoleon had a harrowing survival story, but you would never know. We just can’t wait to love on him for the rest of his life, bring him on adventures and just enjoy the good life.”