When the Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue in New Zealand brought in a pit bull named Nala, there was nothing rescuers could do to get the frightened dog to ease up. But that all changed once the shelter's owner, Abbey van der Plas, brought her 7-year-old son around.
In the clip below, the pooch simply sat in the back of her kennel in despair despite van der Plas' attempt to get her attention. The minute the pooch spots Zack, however, she jumps up and starts showing him affection. It's simply incredible to watch, much like the pooch who recovered after being saved from filthy conditions in a hoarder's home.
"She had been wandering the streets for some time and was extremely shut down and terrified. I spent her entire first & second day sitting on the floor trying to gain her trust. I took hours and hours of footage trying to catch 'the moment' that she decided to trust me. She wasn't having a bar of me, just sat at the back of the run trembling and growling. Then I bought in my secret weapon and the magic happened right before my eyes," van der Plas explains on Facebook.
In a follow-up message, van der Plas says Nala is making even more progress.
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"This crazy famous dog is doing really well. She has made fantastic progress in meeting people and happily says hello with the typical bully wiggle butt," the update reads.
"She has some serious separation distress issues, which means she currently can't be left alone unless in a fortress crate and only for short periods of time, so she's pretty much my full-time sidekick at the mo! We are wanting to start some serious training and rehab with her ASAP for this.
"She has something not quite right going on with her eyes that we need to see the eye specialist about.
"She's steadily gaining weight and has had a few plays [with] some of the other rescue dogs. She adores Papa and is learning a lot about being a dog from him."
"I have set up a Givealittle page for Nala to help us cover the costs of her rehab, training, specialist appointments, spay, and anything else she needs."
"All these things cost us money and with FOUR new arrivals coming in later today, funds are always stretched. Anything raised over and above Nala's costs will be used to help other dogs in similar situations."
Watch the incredible video below and please SHARE if you're thankful for rescuers who truly go above and beyond for helpless animals!
