Florida Construction Worker Falls In Love With Special Dog While Working On Animal Shelter

When King arrived at the Humane Society of Pinellas in Clearwater, Florida, back in June, he was escaping a “life of neglect.” With a staggering seven-pound ulcerated mass on his face, the five-year-old dog was in dire condition. 

“It was 10% of his entire body weight...” shelter spokesperson Peyton Davis told The News & Observer. “He could barely pick his head up. He could barely move around.”

Yet somehow, King’s spirit was unbroken.

“Even though he was uncomfortable and in pain, he had an inspiring upbeat attitude and only wanted to be loved,” the shelter wrote on Facebook.

King underwent a “difficult but successful” surgery to remove the mass, and his caregivers were relieved to learn that it was benign. With the mass finally gone he began heartworm treatment. 

While being treated for heartworm, King was limited to leash walks only, and Humane Society of Pinellas staff members would take him out on long walks to keep him entertained. It was on one of those long walks that King was introduced to a construction worker who was helping to build the facility's new Sjouwerman Adoption Center.

“This lovely gentleman slowly fell in love with King,” the humane society wrote on Facebook. “Then, during a recent tropical storm the gentlemen asked if he could foster him during the storm.” 

The rest, as they say, is history.

“He fell in love with him and fate stepped in and King was adopted by this amazing man,” the Facebook post reads. “Congrats to King and his furever family! We are so happy for him!”

It was, in many ways, the perfect ending for a dog who had been through so much in just a few short years.

“We knew that it was going to be the right fit for him, someone who kind of already previously knew him, someone who knew his background, someone who knew they could work with him,” Davis told The News & Observer.

Congratulations, King!