Bron had spent his entire life chained up on a farm in Spain. He was discovered by Animal Rescue España who couldn’t believe the number of untreated injuries as a result of the severe neglect.
For eight years, this was all he knew.
Here he is about to be petted for what is most likely the very first time in his life. What a moment.
“After many years as a dog guard, tied with a chain of punishment whose spikes had already embedded in his neck, he was to be sacrificed. So we decided to save him and since then he’s in treatment for his fears,” Animal Rescue España said on their Facebook page. “His heart has many hard scars to erase.”
“Bron is one of the most difficult cases we have encountered,” rescuer Pilar Delgado told The Dodo. “When we first approached, he would flee, snarling.”
Even once he was brought to safety, Bron was slow to let his guard down, but rescuers never stopped trying to earn his trust — and their persistence paid off. In a tender moment captured on video, Bron finally allowed himself to be petted for what may have been the first time in his life.
That first experience of human warmth and affection was a welcome revelation for Bron, but helping him overcome the years of trauma has been a longer road still. For the better part of a year, he's been working with an expert dog trainer to prepare him for a forever home.
“He is a happy dog, but he still has barriers to overcome,” Delgado said. “Bron's heart still hopes that, despite all the difficulties, he can live out his days with a family.”
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Update: Sadly, weeks after this post was published, Animal Rescue España reported that Bron had passed away, writing:
He came to us after 8 years chained, after much suffering. We had a hard time winning his trust. He was our grump, our challenge, our friend. He was learning to live, to trust, to be happy, with special education, because his case was difficult, but our determination to find a family and recover completely, was greater.
Our heart decided to stop beating, one summer night, and here we are, without him. But his memory, his essence, will remain alive among us.
Until forever, my friend, we will never forget your gaze.
