Milo is proof that even the most broken dogs can turn into wonderful companions – they just need a little bit of patience and faith!
This rescue Pittie was surrendered to a shelter after spending more than a month in an empty home. Scared, alone, and severely malnourished, Milo’s situation was as uncertain as it could possibly be.
Due to his traumatic past, he started developing unusual behavior as a result of PTSD. He was pretty much a lost cause until a giant-hearted woman spotted him and decided to give him a chance!
Milo’s Turbulent Journey
After his hooman left, Milo was visited once or twice a week by his owner’s friend who fed him. However, once Milo arrived at Heartland Humane Society, from Yankton, South Dakota, he looked extremely malnourished for his age.
According to his rescuers, Milo practically lived, slept, defecated, and urinated – all in the same spot. He was in horrible condition once he arrived at the shelter. On top of all that, he developed an extremely weird behavior due to the lack of social interaction.
Yazmin Moktan, an art instructor and a giant-hearted foster who lived in South Dakota at the time due to her studies, fell in love with Milo right off the bat!
“He was severely malnourished, stained with + consumed his own waste, and was a little insane from having been abandoned in an apartment alone for a long time,” Yazmin wrote on Instagram.
Before him, she fostered dozens of other dogs, but there was something about this Pittie boi that made her want to help him at all costs.
Learning How To Be A Dog Again
The first couple of months weren’t easy. Milo was so neglected in the past that he developed some sort of neurosis from having been abandoned in an apartment alone. He couldn’t learn how to sit, play, or even behave like a normal dog.
All he wanted at the time was to eat and stress-destroy toys. He was literally distracted by any noise. Whenever his foster would call him over, he would stare at her and then run away.
For weeks, Milo never slept through the night, according to Yazmin. Even though he came out clear in the neurological exam, it was evident that Milo was coping with trauma from the past.
Yazmin was patient all along. She dedicated time, sweat, and tears working on his issues, and eventually, she succeeded! After five months of consistent work with Milo, he came out to be a brand-new dog!
He was 20 pounds heavier than he was the first time he walked into his foster mama’s home. And, most importantly, his behavior improved significantly!
He learned basic commands (including potty training), as well as how to play fetch without destroying toys. What his weird personality was back then is now the goofiest, most playful character!
Yazmin And Milo Are Just Meant To Be
Five months into fostering Milo, Yazmin admitted to herself something that she never dared to say out loud – Milo was gonna become a foster fail!
Even though he had several potential adopters, Yazmin was just not sure if other people would take care of him the way she did. She bonded with Milo very much during those months, and when the adoption time finally came, she just couldn’t let go!
“I never thought we’d be here, but here we are. This decision has been one we’ve really struggled with and I’m still very terrified of. The future is uncertain but one thing is for sure, this boy will spend every day of the rest of his life having a freaking blast,” wrote Yazmin.
Today, Milo is doing better than ever! His days of trauma are far behind, and the only thing that matters to him now is spending as much time as possible with his mom.
He and Yazmin don’t know life without each other anymore. They are always together – playing, hiking, taking road trips, and cuddling in their cozy home! Once an abandoned dog fending for himself, Milo’s now the sweetest lovebug! And, he absolutely loves his life!
You can follow his adventures on his Instagram account.