CHEWY’S STORY: FROM DEATH ROW TO DEEP HEALING

A second chance for a dog who never gave up.

Chewy didn’t ask for much.  Just a human to follow. A ball to chase. A safe place to rest. He was first spotted darting across a freeway, barely avoiding traffic—lost, confused, and alone. Off-duty police officer and his wife, witnessing the chaos, pulled over and gently coaxed the frightened pup to safety. A man nearby said he’d been calling him Chewy, that the dog had been following him for weeks. But that day, the man was turning himself in—and as he handed over Chewy, he simply said:  “Take the dog.” And so they did.  Chewy was brought to the shelter.  Microchipped.  And guess what his name turned out to be?
Chewy. Coincidence? We don’t think so. But the safety of the shelter came at a cost. Chewy waited. And waited. His body was safe—but his spirit began to unravel. What started as mild reactivity to bikes and cars turned into full-blown stress behaviors: lunging, barking, pacing, fear. Chewy landed on the euthanasia list. Labeled “unadoptable.” Just another throwaway dog, cracked under pressure. But some of us saw more. I met Chewy as a volunteer. I walked him. I played ball with him. I was one of the few he still trusted. And when he started spiraling, I couldn’t turn away.  Not everyone would’ve given him a chance. But some people did.

Jeannemarie, founder of Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC), stepped up and pulled Chewy to safety. John Sorosky, master trainer at Camp Canine, donated his time to give Chewy the structure and guidance he needed.  And me? I stayed by his side. I spend about 3 hours a day with Chewy—walking him, training him, loving him, helping him trust again. And the truth is: Chewy is blooming. He’s no longer the desperate, reactive dog he once was. He’s learned to relax. He walks better on leash. He’s focused. Playful. Funny. Goofy. Loyal. Chewy is proving something big:

No dog is too far gone.

Love + structure + commitment = transformation.