Gerald arrived at the pound in March 2026 in very poor condition. He is around 2½ years old (age on arrival). He was extremely thin, with marks around his neck that suggest he may have been tied up for a long time.

Before arriving at the pound, Gerald was found wandering the streets near a small cat colony, where a kind local regularly feeds stray cats. He was desperately eating their food, as if he hadn’t eaten in a long time. Around his neck, he had a chain tightly attached with wire — a heartbreaking sight that immediately raised concern.

The woman who found him approached him slowly and gently removed the chain. She took him home temporarily, keeping him safe on her terrace while she contacted the local authorities. Despite everything he had been through, Gerald showed himself to be a sociable and gentle dog. He didn’t react negatively to her own dog and, although overwhelmed at first, he began to relax. She also noticed small wounds on his face.

Thanks to her kindness, Gerald is now safe at the pound.

Sadly, Gerald is really struggling here. He is extremely stressed and is not coping well with life in the pound. Spending more than 23 hours a day in a tiny cage is overwhelming for him, and he has even been hurting himself on the fencing in his distress.

When he goes out onto the patio, he shares time with a female dog and is doing fine with her. However, most of his focus is on the gate — waiting to be taken out. We don’t blame him — this is not a place any dog should have to live, especially not one who has already been through so much.

Despite how much he is struggling in the pound environment, Gerald truly shines when he gets the chance to go out. He is absolutely wonderful on walks — walking calmly on the lead without pulling and showing little interest in distractions. Passing dogs, a few cars, and even cats don’t seem to bother him.

He recently went on a small adventure with a couple of volunteers, and he did incredibly well. In the car, he was calm and relaxed, happily enjoying some cuddles on the back seat during the journey. When they arrived at a fenced area where he could be off lead, he stayed close to the volunteers the entire time, never causing any concern and simply enjoying being near people.

More recently, he also went out on a walk with a woman and a young girl, and once again he did so well. He showed the same calm, gentle nature, taking everything in his stride and simply enjoying being out and close to people. He really is just an amazing little boy.

We truly hope that Gerald will begin to settle soon, because it is heartbreaking to see how much he is struggling. He urgently needs a calm, loving home where he can finally feel safe, decompress, and never have to experience fear, hunger, or confinement like this again.