Man adopts weak and 'barely alive' senior dog, giving it a second chance at life: 'My best friend'

A man rescues an abandoned, starving senior dog and shares his incredible transformation online.

PUBLISHED FEB 1, 2025

A senior dog sitting on the floor (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Griffin Wooldridge)

Adopting a dog is a rewarding experience for sure, but it's equally important to understand that it's not just about having a cute companion around. Just like humans, they also need proper care, attention and most importantly unconditional love. However, some owners neglect and eventually abandon their pets when they fail to provide them with a nurturing environment. Similarly, Grits, a stray dog was "barely alive" when Taylor Ivy (u/yaylor420i on Reddit) found it. The senior dog looked excessively weak and could barely stand because of its condition.

An old dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Helena Lopes)

When Ivy found Grits like that, he immediately decided to adopt it so the dog could live its "last years in peace." Ivy shared some pictures of Grits, highlighting its incredible physical transformation. He wrote, "He is a wonderful old man. I love him. He is my best friend. We are there for each other. He is doing much better now and is much happier." Ivy also shared that the stray dog was abandoned, starving and dehydrated when he met Grits. Moreover, he mentioned that he has no idea how old Grit is or what breed he is. "Guys, if you have a chance to save a dog, do it. There isn't a more loyal companion," Ivy concluded his Reddit post.

A dog sleeping on the floor (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Bruno Cervera)

Meanwhile, people in the comment section appreciated Ivy for rescuing Grits and providing it with a healthy and loving environment. For instance, u/the_new_spagora commented, "I love grits. He’s so beautiful. The trusting look on his face in photo one almost made me cry. Dogs truly are Earth's angels. I hate whoever could lock a dog in a cage and leave them that way. I’m so happy that you two found each other." Similarly, u/latenightcinderella wrote, "I wish I could wish for his full recovery to happen right now. You are awesome! On a side note, do you keep your bed on the floor? I can't tell from the last picture. If you do, airflow can't get under the bed and molds can sometimes grow. It's worth checking every once in a while."

u/irishdaveincanada wrote, "Fair play, it looks like you are doing a great job rehabilitating him, the transformation in the pics is awesome. I would suggest getting those nails clipped though, they are very long so you will need to do them bit by bit to get them to shrink back quickly. Please keep us updated with future pics, I'd love to see how he continues to progress." u/dumbaccountaafs wrote, "I love how with each photo you can see he’s gained more and more weight. Hug Grits for me, he deserves all the hugs. What a tough dude!" On the other hand, u/zzsparkzz wrote, "Grits looks like such a sweetie! It really breaks my heart that people can be so cruel to such innocent animals. Thank you for saving him and giving him a good rest of his life."

A man careesing a dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Enric Cruz López) — A man caressing a dog (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Enric Cruz López)

Notably, Grit was passed down to a family member after his owner was sentenced to jail, Ivy shared with Newsweek. Unfortunately, Grit was kept in a cage and neglected. "[Grits] was very afraid and scared at first. By showing him absolute love and care, he grew to trust me and we have formed a great bond. He's doing really well, eating and drinking a lot now and gaining weight," Ivy added.