Flapjack didn’t know what to do with himself. The moment he arrived at the shelter, the world seemed to close in — the clanging doors, barking dogs, and unfamiliar smells.
He pressed himself against the cold concrete floor, trembling, his head tucked beneath the cot as if the dark could make him invisible.
It was heartbreak in motion — a young dog completely shut down by fear.
That’s when the shelter staff reached out to Hounds in Pounds, a foster-based rescue known for helping dogs who’ve been through the worst.
When founder Cat Suzuki heard about Flapjack, there was no hesitation. “He wasn’t going to get adopted like that,” she said. “So, of course, we agreed to help him.”
Flapjack had been found wandering as a stray, scared and alone, before being taken to Chapin Veterinary Hospital in South Carolina — part of the rescue’s network.
There, veterinarian Dr. Parnell met him for the first time and instantly understood the challenge ahead. “He was timid and depressed,” she recalled.
“He wouldn’t even lift his head to look at you.”
Still, she saw something fragile but worth saving — a spark under all that fear. Step by slow step, Dr. Parnell began to help him heal.
First came medical care — treatment for fleas, ticks, and irritated skin — then came the harder part: trust.
She introduced him to gentle people, calm dogs, and safe spaces. There were no expectations. Just presence.
For days, Flapjack watched other dogs from the sidelines, his tail still, his body flat. But something started to shift.
Watching them chase balls, tug on toys, and roll in the grass awakened something long buried in him.
And then one morning — quietly, almost shyly — Flapjack joined in.
He took a few tentative steps toward the others, then ran. Not far, not long, but enough. Enough to feel the wind again.
Enough to remember what joy felt like.
From that moment on, it was as though someone had flipped a switch. “He opened up pretty quickly,” Dr. Parnell said, smiling.
“He’s way different now.”
Gone was the trembling pup hiding under a cot. In his place stood a one-year-old dog full of life and mischief — playful, affectionate, and ready for adventure.
He loved being outdoors, hiking, running, and, most of all, being surrounded by other dogs.
Suzuki wasn’t surprised by his transformation. “Shelter dogs never surprise me,” she said. “They’re amazing, resilient creatures.
Their will to survive and overcome is incredible. Watching them blossom into who they’re meant to be — that’s the best part.”
Once Flapjack had been medically cleared and emotionally ready, the rescue team began looking for the right home — one that could match his new energy and spirit.
He found it.
Flapjack now lives with an active foster family that has a big, fenced yard and two Labrador retrievers who have quickly become his playmates.
He spends his days running free, wrestling in the grass, and curling up with his new family at night — a world away from the lonely concrete floor he once clung to.
“He needed a place where he could go and run,” Dr. Parnell said. “And that’s exactly what he got.”
For now, it’s a foster home. But everyone’s hoping it becomes forever.
Because after everything Flapjack has been through, he’s more than ready to keep running — not away from fear this time, but toward love, life, and everything good waiting ahead.
