Napoleon, a 3-year-old Pit Bull mix, was a regular resident of the streets of Cleveland, Texas. He was most usually seen near a gas station parking lot where he lived off of scraps since he didn’t have a home to call his own.

After a local shelter heard about this stray dog, they knew they had to come to his aid.

Help Is On The Way 

As soon as they found him, the rescuers brought him to a vet for a good and thorough checkup. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia. This means that his organs made their way up to his chest.

Because of this, he was in need of surgery in order to survive so the rescue team took to their Facebook asking for donations.

The most common cause of this is blunt force trauma. I can’t even imagine what it was like for Napoleon to be all alone out there on the streets.

“It was one of the worst cases of a diaphragmatic hernia they had seen”,said Laura Forma, cofounder of This Is Huston.

Napoleon, being as brave as he is, made it through the surgery like a champ.

Road To Recovery 

Napoleon set on a healing journey, which was at his foster home. 

However, This Is Huston knew how strong he was, and that he would recover in no time, so they already made it known that he was looking for his forever home.

He did meet a family who fell in love with him, but Napoleon was pretty attached to his foster mom, and it showed during their meet and greet. So, they decided not to move forward.

Napoleon spent almost a year with his foster mom, still looking for a family that was willing to take him in.

According to research done by 11pets, only 27% of adopted dogs are of larger size, and they tend to spend up to 12 months in shelters or foster homes.

This was also the case of Napoleon, until Tina Kempken, a woman looking for a new furry companion, got the means to adopt him.

Finally Home

I remember seeing his story and thinking, ‘If he is still around in a few months, when we get a house with a yard, we have to get him,’ said Tina.

Since bringing him home, we have learned he loves romping in the yard and snuggling. He forgets he is almost 90 pounds.

It took some time for Napoleon to fully adjust to the fact that he not only has a roof over his head, but a loving family, too. Once he did, he was the happiest pup ever.

He is a doggo full of love, showing it to all of his stuffed toys and his new parents. He has also quickly bonded with Tina’s other dog, Snoopy, making them the best of friends.

Final Word 

Napoleon’s journey from a homeless, injured stray to a beloved member of a loving family is truly inspiring.

Thanks to the compassion and dedication of local shelters, Napoleon and many others like him are saved from the streets and brought to a loving home where they deserve to be. To anybody who has ever been a member of a doggo rescue mission, I salute you!