This is the story of Hank – an exceptional dog that survived a hurricane, was rescued by Living Free, and, eventually, found the best home possible in Idyllwild, CA. 

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas. A golden-eyed hound dog was wandering the streets, lost and separated from his family.  With more than 40,000 people evacuated it was no wonder many dogs never found their owners. He was rescued by an organization that transported him to Wags and Walks in Los Angeles where he was given the name Hank. Living Free was contacted and asked if we could take in some of these dogs.  Of course, we wanted to help and this is how Hank arrived at Living Free in April of 2018.

Hank made himself right at home at Living Free. This vibrant, goofy guy flourished being up in the mountains. He loved being outside and exploring. He was a staff and volunteer favorite due to his enthusiasm for walks and his happy demeanor. Hank also managed to develop a small following of fans on social media with his hilarious personality shining through videos and photos. He was just waiting for the special someone to come along and adopt him. 

In early 2020, Jeffrey Cohen lost his beautiful black Lab, Thelma. He had adopted her as a six-year-old from Living Free in February of 2015.  Sadly, she passed away at the age of eleven.

Jeffrey said, “A few months later I knew that I wanted to adopt another dog, so where did I go? To Living Free of course. I met Hank and could not understand why he had not been adopted yet. I brought him home in May of 2020, first as a foster. I knew though, that I was going to adopt him, which I did within a month.”

Jeffrey went on to say, “He is a perfect dog, and I am delighted to have him. He is the right size, cute, he liked me, and was friendly with everyone. He has a good soul. He loves the FedEx and UPS guys because they bring him treats. So, every time he sees a brown truck he pulls at the leash because he thinks there might be treats there; ordinarily, he never pulls on the leash when we go walking. People along our route know Hank and greet him. He approaches them with a wagging tail and he enjoys the attention.”

“Hank is not the kind of ‘sit on your lap’ type of dog. He is always near me and will put his nose close to me when he wants to go out. Although, suffering from separation anxiety, he and I work with that; I’ve proven to Hank that I will return and gradually his anxiety has been reduced. I tell him each day that every day will be a great day. He loves to run around the yard and often gets the zoomies.”

“Both Thelma and Hank have opened up another dimension in my life and I consider myself fortunate to have a dog from Living Free.”

Thank you, Jeffrey, for making Hank a part of your life.  You have given Hank exactly what he needed – a warm, welcoming home and a companion who loves him.