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Abandoned Pets Survive to Tell the 'Tail'

More on PawNation: Leonardo the mastiff, LeonardoTheMastiff, pet adoption, pet rescue, pet survival story, PetAdoption, PetRescue, PetSurvivalStory

Jan 8th 2010

Napoleon Mastiff dog picture
Dan Rosenstrauch/Contra Costa Times

A house in Walnut Creek, Calif., had been vacant for several weeks, leading suspicious neighbors to call animal control to investigate. When they arrived, they discovered two crates full of chihuahuas, none of which had survived. But the tragedy was joined by an incredible story of survival in the locked bathroom, where a kitten, a chihuahua, and Leonardo, a 108-pound mastiff, stayed alive against all odds, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Experts suspect the three animals drank toilet water to survive, and lasted weeks without food, with Leonardo never turning on his much smaller companions.

Instead, the traumatic experience created a special bond between the three animals, with Leonardo instantly cheering up when he saw the kitten again during pet therapy sessions. But he was not out of danger just yet. After several months in a county shelter, the kitten and chihuahua were both adopted, but lovable Leo had yet to find a family, and was scheduled to be put down. That's when the local Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) stepped in to give him another chance.

After ARF made his story public, they received a record number of calls about adopting Leonardo. A local couple gave him a comfortable new home last weekend, while the interest raised by the story had the shelter adopting twice as many animals as usual – a much-deserved happy ending for everyone involved.

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