Kevin Moran and his wife adopted Riley from the local Best Friends Animal Shelter in the fall of 2017. Riley had a rough start in life. He was rescued in 2016 from an abusive hoarding situation by Troup County Animal Control. He was about 4 years old when he was rescued, after having been chained up in a backyard with numerous other dogs and never given any real love, attention, or proper vet care.

Additionally, Riley had a life-threatening heartworm infestation. He was absolutely terrified of people, and Troup County Animal Control considered putting him down because they were not sure he would ever fit in with a human family.

However, Best Friends agreed to take him in, and Riley lived at the Best Friends shelter for almost a year. While he was there, he was successfully treated for heartworms and he made some progress in learning to trust people, mostly the shelter staff who gave him some affection for the first time in his life. However, he was still very wary of strangers and whenever a family came to shelter looking to adopt an animal, Riley retreated to the back of the kennel, and so most people passed on him.

In the fall of 2017, one of the Moran’s two dogs passed away, and they were looking for a new dog to join the family. Kevin’s wife spotted Riley on the Best Friends website, and one Saturday they drove to the shelter with their dog, Maddy, to see Riley in person. Riley took to Maddy instantly, and they decided to adopt him because they thought he just needed a chance in life.

At the time the Moran’s adopted Riley, he had never been in a car or been inside a house and was absolutely terrified of a leash. But with lots of love and patience, Riley has really come a long way. He adores Maddy and she has “shown him the ropes” as he adjusts to his new family life – how to walk on a leash, how to play in the backyard, how to beg the neighbors for treats, how to stretch out on the couch, etc. He even went on vacation to the beach last Christmas!

Riley’s life has completely turned around now, and one of his favorite things to do is to go for walks around Lake Avondale and take in all the new sights and sounds and smells and meet new dogs and people.