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Ivan is a miniature poodle who came out of a hoarding situation in Chicago.

There were around 20 poodles in the house when a fire broke out, and despite the best efforts of the firemen and neighbors, some lost their lives. Fortunately, Ivan survived. He was placed with a rescue organization, and they estimated he was between 2 and 5 years old.

We were introduced to Ivan when we decided to try fostering. We had lost our 17 year old beagle mix a month earlier, and our 16 year old Bichon had never been an only dog. He needed a companion.

A little over a month later, we learned that some folks had inquired about Ivan. We talked about it. He clearly liked his new home, and we had gotten attached to him, as well. With all that he had been through, we decided to go ahead and adopt him.

A few months later, we lost our Bichon when his cancer came back. While Ivan was good company for our Bichon, he seems happy to be an only dog.

Ivan is a real cuddler and loves attention. When I come home and take him out in the yard, he wants a hug first and then he runs around in circles. By establishing a routine, something he probably never had in the hoarding situation, he’s gotten very good on the housebreaking. He is still very timid and startles easily.

We will never know what life in that hoarding situation was like for him. We can only do our best to try to make sure that he now feels loved and secure.

Story submitted by an anonymous user from Chicago, Illinois.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!