Brutally ignored by his owner, Herschel the German Shepherd. Without the tiniest bit of affection, he was chained to a backyard. He tried to chew the chain that was tightly holding him to a terrible existence, wearing his teeth all the way down to their tips.

Ultimately, he was taken to a pet sanctuary. Due to their inability to commit to a long-term connection with this lonely dog, two families who had previously adopted him returned him to the shelter.

The miserable dog’s life was one day changed when the animal rescue group Found Animals entered it. They made a commitment after hearing Herschel’s heartbreaking tale that he wouldn’t ever again feel the pain of being sent back to the shelter.

They discovered the person Hershel required—someone who had a profound, unconditional love. They gave him an adventure-filled day before they took him to his future home. Herschel had a meal of a burrito and a puppuccio while playing in the snow.

His favorite memory, though, was his first encounter with the water. Once he did, he was so overcome with joy that he was unable to contain himself. You’ll shed a tear as you read about him.