More: Theo was rescued from an animal hoarder who had 26 dogs in metal cages in a small house. The dogs were starving and living in filth. Theo was 2.5 years old when rescued and weighed 55 pounds. He needed lots of care, nutrition, and nurturing to recover. He was so weak that he could hardly hold his head up and he couldn’t use stairs. He was afraid of everything but me. We clicked. He gained weight and confidence. We now hike, bike, and kayak together. I feel blessed to have him in my life and that he was resilient to forgive humans for his mistreatment. He could have been forever jaded, quick to react, be untrainable. Instead, he is affectionate and calm. He just looks big and tough.