“You wouldn’t even guess he was the same dog!”

When Denim first arrived at the Pennsylvania SPCA, he wasn’t sure what to think. The gentle puppy had spent lots of time on his own, abandoned and wandering the city streets. When rescuers finally found him and took him back to the shelter, they were heartbroken to realize he was just skin and bones.

“Denim was initially scared and certainly fearful,” Gillian Kocher, Pennsylvania SPCA director of public relations, told The Dodo. “He very often had his tail tucked and was hesitant to go through doors or outside.”

As days at the shelter flew by, Denim slowly learned what it was like to be loved. He enjoyed lots of food and received medical care for the injuries he’d sustained while on his own. Soon, Denim’s fragile frame was taking a new shape, and his bashful demeanor vanished to reveal his true colors.

“It is always so rewarding to see dogs transform from shy, shutdown beings to silly, happy ones,” Kocher said. “And of course the physical transformation is just as remarkable — you wouldn’t even guess he was the same dog!”

Finally happy and healthy, the former wallflower became the most jubilant dog in the room.

“Denim is a true puppy now,” Kocher said. “He loves to play with other dogs, though he can be A LOT for them. He just wants to have fun, and his puppy energy is evident when he goes to doggy playgroup at the shelter.”

The newly energized pup is enjoying his time at the Pennsylvania SPCA as he waits to find his forever family. Kocher knows whoever takes Denim home will have a friend for life.

“Because he is just learning to dog, he will need some help with his manners and learning the ropes of living in a home,” Kocher said. “But we know [for] whoever adopts him, it will be so rewarding!”