The real truth is that various misconceptions often cloud our judgment, and there is no difference when it comes to the canine world.
Sadly, some dog breeds still remain misunderstood, even by those who work closely with them. I would like you to meet Anubis, a Rottweiler whose story unravels the pervasive stereotypes surrounding this breed.
Shockingly, he was once labeled “scary devil dog” by the very shelter volunteer who couldn’t see past his tough exterior, even though there was a true gentle giant hiding beneath.
All Anubis needed was a bit more understanding and love by those who were supposed to help him… Thankfully, on his path, he found people who were willing to believe in him and fight for him.
Anubis – ‘The Fearsome Dog’
When a two-year-old black and tan Rottweiler named Anubis first came to Miami-Dade Animal Services, he was immediately seen as aggressive, devilish, and a monster.
Anubis was a street dog still in survival mode, so he was obviously defensive towards everyone who first approached him. This puppy had been fighting for his life all by himself for who knows how long, and he was simply extremely wary towards people.
After all, those ‘same’ people abandoned him and left him to fend for himself without any basic means to survive.
The shelter staff at Miami-Dade soon declared Anubis unsafe to be around, without giving him the proper chance.
Anubis was put at the back of the shelter, without being walked at all due to his ‘aggressive behavior’ and being heartworm positive. This treatment only made the situation worse, which led to him being almost euthanized.
One day before the deadline, a non-profit animal rescue organization called Humans And Animals United (HAAU), based in Florida, heard about Anubis, and thankfully decided to step up and save this precious boy.
“Some staff at the shelter were scared of him, and Anubis wasn’t trusting anyone,” Rosa Fond, the founder of HAAU, told The Dodo.
Everyone at HAAU knew that there was a friendly personality behind all that ‘tough’ exterior, and they were determined to discover it.
Love Is All He Needed
Before Anubis could be connected with his foster family, he needed to decompress, regain his confidence, and work with a trainer.
It took some hard work, but Anubis was finally given a chance, and that’s all it took.
“It took a lot of time and understanding, and I mean a lot! But we gave him the chance that he needed,” Fond said.
As soon as Anubis was out of the shelter, they were able to see that he really was a gentle giant. This once “aggressive” dog was now a confident pup with a lot of love to give.
“When he left the shelter, he realized he was safe. He had a huge smile and happy eyes,” Fond said.
Anubis was now finally ready to meet his foster family and one unusual family member, which soon became his big ‘little’ brother.
This big, ‘scary’ Rottweiler and little bearded dragon lizard hit it off right away, but to everyone’s surprise, the lizard was actually the boss in this household.
“Anubis has to ask the bearded dragon for permission to enter a room or take a toy, as funny and hard as it is to believe,” Fond said.
@humansandanimalsunited ❤️🐾🎉 Anubis, the so called aggressive Rottweiler who was in the back of the shelter without being walked due to aggression and also Heartworm positive. The scary devil dog one volunteer said… the monster… he will never make it out. The last plea came out for him, we had to come up with a plan to save his life. It has taken love and dedication but here is Anubis! The Gentle Giant! Well the bearded dragon runs the house as you can tell 😂 Our rescue is thankful for everyone's support in saving the loves who need us the most. No rescue is easy, we do not post all we go through to guarantee a bright future for these kids. What we love doing is bringing you the great updates to inspire a better world for these souls. Anubis is at his foster living a great life! #Humansandanimalsunited #rosafond #savinglives #animalrescue #rescuedogsoftiktok #haau #fosterssavelives #humansandanimalsunited #bekindtoanimals ♬ Happy Cute & Playful – Yevhen Lokhmatov
They both respect each other and have huge love for one another.
Anubis now enjoys all the love he gets from his humans and his lizard best friend.
He came a long way from being a scared and scary dog at the shelter who couldn’t stand the presence of another dog or a person, to being the sweetest ‘gentle giant’ in the world.
He only needed a single chance… “The ‘aggressive’ rottweiler is now safe and loved. The family that he’s with now has gone above and beyond to love him and guarantee him the best future,” Fond said.