It takes a lot to shock the volunteers at Vegas Pet Rescue Project (VPRP), but Raider—a pit bull–husky mix—left them stunned. When he arrived, he weighed only 18 pounds, more than 40 pounds under what he should have been. His ribs pressed through his fur, his body trembled with weakness, and he could barely stand. He was starving, abandoned, and barely hanging on.
“He was the worst case we’ve ever had,” said Jamie Gregory, VPRP’s founder and president. “We couldn’t believe he was still alive.”
Raider’s past was marked by neglect and abuse. A relative of his previous owner surrendered him, and from the moment he arrived, it was clear he no longer trusted people. Samantha Curtis, a VPRP volunteer, remembers her first moments with him in the emergency room. Raider growled as she approached. “There was no trust with humans,” she said. “We don’t know what he went through, but it was obvious he had been abused.”
Still, Curtis refused to walk away. She started by gently rubbing one of his paws, slowly working up to soft strokes along his body. Little by little, Raider’s walls came down. Soon, he was offering kisses and leaning into her touch. Curtis visited him every day, determined to earn his trust. “I just developed a bond with him,” she said.
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Raider spent three weeks in the emergency room and even needed surgery to remove an obstruction. Once he was stable, he began the next phase of his recovery: fostering. Curtis took him home, fully aware of the challenges ahead. “This was my first major medical case,” she said. “It was definitely a learning experience.”
In the beginning, Raider couldn’t do anything on his own. He had to be fed small meals four times a day because his body was too fragile for anything more. Curtis helped him relearn the basics—crawling, standing, walking, and later running. “It definitely made me grow as a person,” she said.
There were behavioral challenges too. Raider guarded his food, toys, and bed. He became reactive in his kennel, especially when the door closed. With the help of a VPRP trainer, Curtis worked patiently to rebuild his trust and teach him that he was finally safe.
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What started as temporary fostering slowly became something more. Over the months, Curtis realized she couldn’t imagine life without him. One year after taking him in, she officially adopted him. Today, Raider weighs around 60 pounds and is full of energy—a remarkable transformation from the skeletal dog who once struggled to lift his head.
“He’s enjoying life, that’s for sure,” Curtis said. “It’s a complete 180.”
Seeing Raider thrive was deeply meaningful for the entire VPRP team. “Sometimes you find animals in horrible situations, and they can be whole again if you just don’t give up on them,” Gregory said. His story is a powerful example of how love and persistence can change a life.
Curtis is quick to say that Raider’s recovery was a group effort. From medical teams to trainers to volunteers, many people played a role in helping him survive. “Unfortunately, cases like Raider’s are found all the time,” she said. “It takes a village to bring them back. I hope his story inspires people to get involved with their local rescues and help save more lives, just like we helped save Raider.”
Raider’s journey is a testament to resilience and hope. Once abandoned, emaciated, and afraid, he now lives a life filled with joy, security, and love. His story proves that with compassion, patience, and unwavering care, even the most broken animals can heal—and often, they end up teaching us just as much as we teach them.