The dog had been defending herself on the streets of Georgia for about two years and she didn’t know how to react to affection…

Adopting a dog with a past of abuse and mistreatment is quite a challenge. Most people might think that they just want affection, chances are they are so terrified of the human, they just want to stay as far away as possible.

The dog had been defending herself on the streets of Georgia for about two years and she did not know how to react to affection. It was clear that she had had a bad time and that the human was largely to blame for Iris’s suffering, so the dog feared every time a human approached her.

Luckily, a volunteer from the Fulton County Shelter named Laurel-Ann Dooley took pity on her and her pregnant sister named Narcisa and gave them a new lease on life, though she first shared the sad but true message about the state of Iris:

“To say this sweet pup is terrified is beyond an understatement,” Dooley wrote on Facebook. “Iris is completely shut down and she just pushes her nose as far into the corner as possible. She lets me pet her but she keeps cringing against the wall. No treatment will tempt her, she is not interested in eating.”

Luckily her post caught the attention of BrakVille Dog Rescue, who promptly placed the dog’s sister in a foster home where she could give birth to her puppies.

However, for Iris it would be much more difficult to find a home, as few families are willing to deal with such severe traumas.

But as soon as Lin Rocke, a former vet tech, saw the photo of the frightened dog trying to make herself invisible, she knew she had to help.

“I know how to nurse a terrified, starving, heartworm dog back to health,” Rocke told The Dodo.

That was how Iris got to Rocke’s house, but she only tried to find safety in the corner of her cage. She stayed there through the night, not making a single move.

As the days went by, Iris was trying new corners to take refuge, which undoubtedly increased Rocke’s hopes in her recovery, since she at least was beginning to slip.

Also, thanks to a Golden Retriever friend named Letty, Iris has begun to feel more secure.

“Iris definitely leans on Letty. He trusted her immediately and moved to her bed from the top of the box to be closer to her.”

Iris’s recovery will take a long time, but with a lot of patience I’m sure she will make it and with the help of Rocke and Letty.