Rescued dog ‘screams’ like a human when he sees ocean for the first time

Dogs are naturally curious and energetic creatures. They like a good walk in the park, roughhousing with other dogs, and playing with their humans.

Unfortunately, one German Shepherd named Herschel didn’t get to experience all these normal dog activities – that’s because he had been stuck to a pole for most of his life.

Herschel was taken from the shelter by his owners, but instead of caring for him and giving him a good life, they did the exact opposite. Herschel’s adoptive family barely took him out for walks and would often forget to feed him.

Of course, as any dog without exercise would have done, Herschel paced around relentlessly, feeling the need to release all his kept energy. This behavior angered his owners, and what they did next proves that they weren’t deserving at all of a pet.

They chained him to a pole. His owners didn’t just chain him for one day, they kept him attached to that pole for the next five years. His undernourished and neglected situation led him to whine and whine endlessly. Herschel was crying for help.

Initially, nobody paid attention to this relentless wailing. Neighbors must have thought that it was just another temperamental dog, that’s until a paperboy who takes a route by their house every day took notice. Sensing that the dog was being mistreated, he reported it to the ASPCA.

The team from ASPCA arrived at the home and was shocked to see the situation. Herschel was extremely thin and clearly sad. They set him free and broke the chain from around his neck, where he had marks for being chained for so long.

The rescued dog was taken back to the shelter – a place that he was familiar with since he’d lived there five years ago – but he had a hard time readjusting to life in it.

Finally, the non-profit Found Animals and their store Adopt & Shop we’re there to help. They gave Herschel the medical and grooming attention that he needed.

Things were looking up for Herschel, most especially since Rocky Kanaka, host of the show Dog’s Day Out, found out about his story.

The mission of Dog’s Day Out was to “to find a hard-to-adopt rescue dog a forever home and in the process treat the pooch to his ‘best day ever'” – something that the protagonist in our story truly deserves! 

Rocky was about to take Herschel on a road trip of a lifetime from Las Vegas to Washington State, where the dog will meet his new mom, Kim.

First stop was breakfast, where Herschel got to taste his first ever burrito.

Then, he was brought to the mountain where he saw snow for the first time. Herschel might be wondering what the weird and cold stuff was, but nevertheless, he had an amazing time rolling around in it!

After experiencing the cold, Rocky decided to take Herschel somewhere breezy. Since they were in Los Angeles, he thought of taking the dog to see the ocean.

And boy oh boy, when Herschel saw the waves and the sand, he got so excited that he tried to break free from his leash while screaming at the top of his lungs!

Rocky finally took the rescued dog to see the ocean. For the first time, Herschel got the feel of sand and waves gently licking his paws. 

It surely is a happy ending for this rescued dog, because now, he has found his forever home and a family that would love him as he should be loved.

Watch the Dog’s Day Out episode featuring Herschel below.

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