Animal abuse is one of the many things that has a life-long impact on the victim. Animals who experience abuse often exhibit abnormal behavior towards humans and/or other animals. They may whimper, bite, growl, shake, or hide when approached. The end results from animal abuse are devastating, and worst of all, there is no verbal way to counsel the victims, making it extra hard to ensure these animals can feel safe in the hands of humans again.
But interestingly, in one video, a dog named Ben who was previously abused shows an incredible turnaround in his facial expressions as he goes from traumatized in a shelter to calm at home. While sad to watch in the beginning, the video visually proves that with the right love, even the animals with the most traumatizing of pasts can learn to trust again.
After the Humane Society of the United States rescued Ben from a home in Jones County, Mississippi, little did he know that he would begin his journey to a better life.
One of the first clips we see of Ben in his YouTube video is of him sitting malnourished in a cage, staring with large, sad eyes as he blinks hard, indicating that he’s feeling sad or threatened. He frequently looks around and breaks eye contact with the filmer to communicate that he’s not looking for a confrontation.
Placing the recently-rescued pup on a countertop, one Humane Society member states, “If you put your hand on it, you can feel every vertebrate. You can feel his hip bones. You can feel every one of his ribs. His body condition score was a ‘one,’ which is as long as you can go and still be alive.”
Fortunately, while clearly in need of a lot of care, the Humane Society members had strong faith that Ben would make a great recovery.
In fact, before being put up for adoption, Ben was placed with a shelter partner who would help him recover emotionally, mentally, and physically.
The final clip of the video is of him lying on a fuzzy blanket in a quiet home with his shelter partner who’s slowly petting him. While Ben has a long journey ahead of him, the change in his eyes already proves that he is doing much better.
To watch the dramatic change in Ben once he’s adopted, make sure to check out the YouTube video below. It’s so relieving to see Ben’s sad expressions and body language change throughout the clip!
