XO the puppy was found wandering the streets, all alone, with a terrible skin condition. Despite the pain his skin was causing him, he was the happiest puppy right from the start, and wagged his tail so hard when he was first rescued that it actually started bleeding. That’s just the kind of dog XO is.
The 1-year-old dog was taken in by Second Chance Rescue NYC and quickly found a foster home. He was given the name XO because all he ever wanted to do was give hugs and kisses to anyone who was willing to receive them. Everyone knew that it wasn’t going to be hard to find happy little XO a forever home — and soon, he found a family who needed him just as much as he needed them.
In the months before meeting XO, his new family tragically lost three dogs due to cancer, all within the span of five months. They were heartbroken and looking for a way to heal, and as soon as they met XO, they knew that it was meant to be.
“XO was the answer to their prayers,” Alyssa Ellman, of Second Chance Rescue NYC, told The Dodo. “They needed something to love, and he needed a loving home to give him a second chance at life.”
Despite everything he’d been through, the little puppy never stopped wagging his tail or giving kisses, and that was exactly what his new family needed at that time in their life.
XO, later renamed Trooper, is now thriving in his forever home, and loves his new family just as much as they love him. He only weighed 15 pounds when he was rescued, and now he's 56 pounds and healthier than ever. A few months after adopting him, they also adopted a golden retriever named Sully, who has become XO’s best friend in the entire world.
While his skin conditions are completely gone now, XO still has a lot of scar tissue because of the severity of his infections, especially around his neck. He may look a little different, but that hasn’t stopped him from being the happiest, most confident puppy around, and he loves brightening the lives of every single person he meets.
“His personality is contagious,” Ellman said. “Everyone that means him LOVES him. They are so inspired by what he went through and had to overcome at such a young age. He is just the happiest guy.”
Despite an incredibly rough start to life, XO has never been anything but overjoyed to be alive, and is exactly what his new family needed after suffering so much loss.
“XO has touched so many people with his incredible story,” Ellman said. “He is literally a rags-to-riches story. He is loved so much. He is kissed at least 100 times a day.”
You can follow XO and all of his adventures on his Facebook page.
