Dear Save A Dog,

When this pup came to us as Lyle, we had the perfect name for him. Liko means “Flower bud” in Hawaiian, my inherited language. We saw how much potential he had—but also how far he had to go.

Liko foster mom brought him to us as a jumpy, timid dog, barely out of puppyhood, who practically ran and hid from his own shadow. He was afraid to be petted, scared of meeting new people, and even apprehensive about walking on leash. On his first day with us, he literally cowered in a corner and wouldn’t leave, growling at any of us who walked by. I admit, we were a little worried about what we had gotten ourselves into. We had rescued dogs before, but none of them had been nearly this terrified. But I wasn’t going to give up so easily. I knew he just needed love, patience, and some encouragement.

With the help of an amazing trainer named Lynne Panno, we were able to help him bloom into the beautiful soul that he is now. He has come so far, acing obedience classes, performing in a dog trick course, and even earning a Canine Good Citizen certificate, meeting the AKC’s standards as a well-mannered, highly socialized dog! Liko is now confident and happy, excited to explore the world with us and happy to meet new people and new dogs. I could have never imagined how much he would have grown from when we got him. Even though we were worried about his fear when he first came to us, I know now that he is the most perfect dog that I could ever have.

Louca Hill and family