Unfortunately, not every pup gets to grow up in a happy, loving environment.

Some are forced to do things that they don’t really want to do. One adorable girl named Juniper was raised to be a racing dog.

However, when she grew up, she was noticed by some incredible hoomans who made sure to provide her with the happy life that she was destined to live all along.

A Much Needed Rescue Mission

When Johansson was looking for a furry friend to add to her family, she knew that it had to be a rescue pup! She was well aware of their situation and knew that adopting one would completely change their lives for the better.

While doing some research online, she found out that Greyhounds are usually used for racing. This usually means that they don’t really get treated the way they deserve.

“After that, it became very clear that it was specifically a retired racer who I wanted to give home to,” Johansson said in an interview.

As soon as she stumbled upon one sweet girl, she knew that was it. Johansson wasted no time in adopting her and naming her Juniper.

“She was named after the plant the Juniper bush because it’s known for being able to thrive in the most horrendous situations and still come out beautiful at the other end. It felt like a lovely representation of her spirit,” she added.

When she finally brought Juniper home, Johansson decided to leave her past behind and not look too much into it.

“I have her racing name and number so I can look her up and get her complete information and history but I’ve chosen not to. The only time I tried it took me about 10 minutes before breaking down to tears over the horrible fate these dogs suffer,” she added.

From Rags To Riches

There was no need for Johansson to look up Juniper’s history as she was able to make some conclusions by the way she looked when she got her.

Not only was she incredibly scared of hoomans, but she also had a kennel coat – coarse and patchy hair. Her relationship with food wasn’t too good as she tended to eat her food too fast as a result of frequent starvation.

Since all she knew were races and cages, it took Johansson an entire year to teach Juniper how beautiful life can be.  

“There was the first time she laid down to sleep when we had dinner instead of doing everything in her power to get it [from] us,” she stated.

Fast forward to today and Juniper is a totally different pup!

She now sleeps in her very own bed and loves playing with her incredible family. Instead of fearing people, she runs to them and demands cuddles and belly rubs.

“She comes and demands cuddles nowadays. Pushes up against you and tries to wiggle her head in under my hand to get ultimate cuddles,” Johansson said.

Such a transformation wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the efforts of her incredible hooman. A big thank you to Johansson for being the change this world so desperately needs!

“We need others to adopt and rehabilitate these dogs. I want people to see these dogs as loving and caring family dogs. They’re not machines you can run around a track all day until they don’t make you money anymore,” Johansson concluded.

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Source: CNN