Senior Dog Finds Happiness After 15 Years on a Chain

After 15 years spent at the end of a chain in his backyard, senior dog Bear is finally living the good life with a new family, a warm bed, and the happiness he always deserved.

A senior dog in Suffolk County, New York is finally living the life every dog deserves, one that is comforting, warm, and filled with the love and attention that had been absent for the first 15 years of his life. Having spent a decade-and-a-half chained up to a dog house in a backyard, doing his best to survive harsh winters and little attention, one call to the animal rescue group Guardians of Rescue changed his life and helped him find freedom.

“We received a call about a dog in need of a dog house,” Robert Misseri, founder and president of Guardians of Rescue said one year ago. “But when we got there, it was even worse than that. That’s when we discovered the poor dog had spent his whole life attached to a heavy chain. We knew then and there that we had to do something to make a difference in that dog’s life, and so we did.”

GOR spoke with the dog owner, who agreed to surrender the dog to the rescue group. They made it their mission to ensure the rest of his life would be lived in comfort.

Bear was cut free from his heavy chain, loaded into the front seat of a pickup, and was taken to the spa to be groomed. On January 29, 2017, Bear was adopted by Kerrie Rosenfeld and began his new life with no chains in sight.

One year later, USA Today checked in with Bear and his new family.

“He loves belly rubs, his twice daily walks, meal time and treat time, and walking from room to room in the house,” Bear’s mom said. “He has a bed in each room.” At 16 years old new, Kerry is helping Bear live his life to the fullest. And he’s doing so with tons of energy. “He doesn’t know he’s not a puppy!” said Rosenfeld.