Smokey, a puppy was taken in by a loving family who showered him with an abundance of toys. However it was a stuffed elephant, with ears that captured his heart the most. Despite the temptation to tear it apart within minutes Smokey always treated it with care. He would even take it along during walks and cuddle with it every night.

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Life was filled with love for Smokey until he turned five, when everything took a turn.

Unfortunately his owner lost their job. They faced difficulties. They downsized their living space in an attempt to cope. Even that wasn't enough. Providing food for Smokey became increasingly challenging. Desperate to find someone they knew who could take care of him they searched high and low. Couldn't find anyone able to accommodate such a large dog.

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As the imminent loss of their home loomed, over them they intensified their efforts to secure a home for Smokey. Eventually they had to confront the reality that they could no longer provide for him adequately. With hearts and facing a tough decision they reluctantly surrendered him to a shelter. They made sure he had his toy by his side as they bid him farewell forever.

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Smokeys world shattered into pieces; his heart completely broken.

After losing his family and adjusting to life in the shelter Smokey started experiencing anxiety. He showed no interest, in playing or interacting with the shelter volunteers. Instead he would lie in the corner of his crate holding tightly onto his stuffed elephant.

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The shelter worked urgently to find him a new home because they had space for animals. The photos of Smokey with his elephant caught the attention of adopters giving the shelter hope that he would soon find a loving family.

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However every time a family came to meet him Smokey would retreat into the corner. Growl out of fear when they tried to approach him. Because of this aggression the shelter had to remove him from their list of " dogs." Unfortunately this meant that he was at risk of being euthanized.

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Due to space constraints and their inability to accommodate a dog the shelter set a deadline, for adoption. If Smokey wasn't adopted by then they would have no choice but to put him down.. Despite this situation the shelter remained determined not to give up on saving Smokeys life.

They began searching for rescues that could accommodate Smokey. They knew he would thrive in a environment, than the shelter. Luckily the I Have A Dream rescue organization stepped in in time to save him. They assured they would find him a home and were willing to be incredibly patient until they found him his forever family.

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Once he moved in with a family everything changed for Smokey. The stress he had experienced at the shelter seemed to melt away. Suddenly he was full of energy and eager to play. Sooner than expected the rescue decided to make him available for adoption.

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However before proceeding with adoption they wanted to check if Smokeys previous family could take care of him more. Unfortunately they still didn't have the means to do so. Nonetheless they were immensely grateful that he was saved from being euthanized and would now live a life.

The pictures of Smokey clutching his elephant made him incredibly popular, on social media.

It didn't take long for Smokey carrying his toy to be adopted by a truly amazing forever family. Take a look, at Smokeys inspiring story of hope below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkjYD5pNvR8