It’s hard to wrap your head around the kind of cruelty some animals endure, especially when it’s directed at dogs who ask for nothing more than love and companionship.
Figgy’s story is one of those gut-punch moments that makes you question how anyone could be so heartless. And yet, dogs like him continue to show us how much love they still have to give, even when the world turns its back.
Saved Just In Time
At 18 years old, Figgy, a tiny Toy Poodle, was brought to a veterinary clinic in California. But his owners weren’t seeking treatment. They wanted him euthanized.
Blind and toothless, Figgy was physically fragile, but his gentle spirit and sweetness were unmistakable.
When the staff asked why they wanted to put him down, the owners replied, “He’s stupid.”
The team was stunned. After nearly two decades of loyalty, this little dog was being discarded with shocking indifference.
One look at Figgy was all it took for the clinic staff to make a decision: they weren’t going to follow through with the request.
They gave him a full exam and found that while he had typical age-related issues—blindness, arthritis, and no teeth—he was otherwise in decent health for a senior dog. There was no medical reason to end his life.
A Quiet Home And A Second Chance
Instead of giving up on him, the clinic reached out to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. The team didn’t hesitate and they agreed to take Figgy in.
Knowing he needed a calm, comforting environment, founder Sherri Franklin brought him home herself.
“He was a total love bug and slept with me curled up in my armpit. I just loved him,” Franklin told The Dodo.
Despite everything he’d been through, Figgy was still full of affection.
Just four days after arriving at Muttville and after his story was shared online, Figgy found his forever home.
Eileen, an experienced hospice owner, saw his story and immediately stepped forward.
To her, Figgy wasn’t “stupid” at all. He was perfect.
“He’ll be our fifth hospice angel,” Eileen told The Dodo.
With Eileen, Figgy found what he’d always deserved: warmth, safety, and unconditional love.
His final chapter will be filled with snuggles, comfort, and peace. He’ll never feel unwanted again.
“I just couldn’t help but think that these precious angels had given their love and loyalty to someone their entire lives, and certainly didn’t deserve to die alone in a shelter. They deserved love, comfort, and security for whatever time they happened to have left, and I knew that I could provide that,” Eileen said.
Now, Figgy has exactly that: proof that even after unimaginable cruelty, kindness can still prevail.