The “Everything Bagel” Puppy Was Too Scared To Move Until A Military Hero Saw His Potential
When I first sat with Bagel, he was the kind of dog most people walk past without a second thought. He was tucked into the back of his kennel at the San Diego Humane Society, his head low, his body language screaming that he wanted to be invisible. He wasn’t aggressive; he was just frozen in fear.
Bagel looks like a little bit of everything, which is exactly why the staff nicknamed him after an everything bagel. He’s a six-month-old Australian Cattle Dog mix with striking eyes and those expressive “human” eyebrows. But despite his good looks, he was so brand new to the shelter environment—less than 24 hours in—that he was in a state of total shutdown.
Why Bagel Was Left Behind
As I worked to get Bagel to take a treat, Alexis looked into his backstory. It’s a story we hear often, but it never gets easier. Bagel had a family who had raised him from the time he was a tiny puppy. However, with a new baby on the way, the parents became worried. They feared his high “cattle dog” energy would be too much to manage with a newborn, so they made the difficult choice to surrender him.
I have a lot of empathy for families in that position. Having a baby changes everything, and sometimes the stress of prep can feel overwhelming. But it meant that at just six months old, Bagel’s entire world had vanished.
Breaking the Silence
The breakthrough with Bagel happened the moment his nose started working. In a shelter, the noise is constant—barking, metal gates clanging, and echoes everywhere. I try to talk through my sessions to create a “wall of sound” that feels safe and predictable.
When Bagel finally reached forward and took a treat from my hand, his posture shifted. He went from a statue to a puppy. We discovered he already knew how to sit, which proved someone had spent time with him. Once he realized I was a friend, he wasn’t just a scared shelter dog anymore; he was a bouncy, lick-happy puppy ready for a second chance.
The Perfect Match
A few days after our session, a military member named Joseph came to the shelter looking for a potential service dog. He had met almost every dog available but hadn’t found the right connection. As he was heading toward the exit, a staff member remembered Bagel.
Because of his initial fear, Bagel wasn’t even on the public floor yet, but the staff knew he had potential. It was love at first sight for Joseph and his wife. Today, Bagel is living his best life with a Husky sibling, lounging on couches, and traveling the world with his military family.
The Grieving Mama: Chelsea’s Journey to Becoming Daisy
If Bagel was the puppy everyone overlooked, Chelsea was the dog who broke everyone’s heart. She was a senior American Bulldog mix with a “bully frown” that seemed permanent. When I first sat with her, she was hiding behind me, using my back as a shield.
A Life Used for Profit
Chelsea was found as a stray near a local baseball stadium, running alongside a male dog. It didn’t take long to realize her history. Her body showed the clear signs of a dog that had been used for repeated breeding. She was malnourished, had scars on her shoulders, and her skin was in rough shape.
It’s a reality of the rescue world: when breeding dogs are no longer “profitable,” they are often dumped like trash. Chelsea acted like a dog who had never had a name, never had a toy, and never knew that a human hand could bring anything other than work.
A Commitment Through Sickness
After our session, Chelsea’s journey took a scary turn. She came down with a severe case of kennel cough and had to be moved into medical isolation. Most adopters would have walked away, but a woman named Heather saw my video and knew Chelsea was her dog.
Even when the shelter told Heather she couldn’t meet Chelsea because she was sick, Heather didn’t budge. She waited. She committed to an “unseen” dog because she saw the soul behind those wrinkles.
Healing at Home
Today, Chelsea has a new name: Daisy. Her new mom, Heather, spent the first few weeks sleeping on a blow-up mattress next to her to make sure she felt safe. Daisy is finally learning how to play with toys and has discovered that she actually loves watching TV. She went from a nameless breeding dog to a spoiled senior who wags her whole “tush” when her dad comes home.
These updates are the reason we do what we do. No dog is too far gone, and no fear is too deep to be healed by a little patience and a lot of love.
