Dave and Veronica had previously adopted a female Maltese with a very bad skin condition from an animal shelter, so they were not surprised to get a call from the manager of the same shelter about a male Maltese also with a very severe skin condition. They were told this dog too was one hour away from being put to sleep.

They rushed to the shelter and there he was, a seven-month-old forlorn looking doggie with clumps of fur falling off and bleeding from his wounds.

Veronica took one look at him and with tears streaming down her face said, “I want him”.

“Are you absolutely sure?” asked the shelter manager in a gruff voice. “He is going to take a lot of work and his skin will never be 100% normal.”

“I want him,” said Veronica as she picked up that bloodied and fur-shedding doggie, put him gently in a box and sat in the car, locking the doors.

Dave shrugged and went to the office to sort out the adoption paperwork.

They took him to the vet, got him patched up and shaved and then took him to a park.

He did not know how to walk on flat ground. His paws were like claws as he had been caged for the entire seven months of his life, having been abandoned outside a random vet’s clinic due to his bad skin.

Fast forward to today and with the help of a RAW diet, vitamins, and plenty of TLC, he is the smartest and most loving six-year-old dog.

He loves his daily walks, belly rubs and likes to chase the squirrels and cats in the neighbourhood.

Oh, they named him “Tomorrow” because he had less than one hour to live before Veronica “dognapped” him from the shelter.

She gave this dog the tomorrow he was not supposed to have, a decision both of them have never regretted for even a second. Veronica and Tomorrow are now inseparable.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.