Abandoned Dog Covered In Cacti Spines Was Too Scared To Trust Anyone, Then His Angel Arrived

It was a wild storm in San Diego. Wind howling, thunder crashing, and rain coming down in sheets. It was so bad, even tornado warnings were issued.

And in the middle of it all, someone threw a dog out of a car and left him on the roadside like he was nothing.

He just sat there in the pouring rain for hours, probably hoping they’d come back. But they never did.

Eventually, he got up and wandered off, probably scared and not sure what else to do. He ended up in a wild, scruffy field.

It was dry, full of thorny brush, with tumbleweeds and cactus plants sticking up. Old trash was scattered all over the place, and every step he took looked like it could hurt.

It wasn’t just rough, it was dangerous. But he had nowhere else to go.

People nearby had seen what happened, and when Stephanie Nisan from The Animal Pad Rescue heard the story, she couldn’t just sit still. She had to help.

But they warned her: this dog wasn’t friendly. He growled and snapped. He was scared out of his mind. Even animal control had tried and given up.

But that didn’t stop Stephanie. She and her team packed up and headed out anyway. They knew he needed someone to fight for him, and they were all in.

They named him Prickly Pete, and it wasn’t just because of his attitude. The poor guy had cactus needles stuck all over him.

His legs were torn up, and one big cactus chunk was dangling from his leg. He was limping, trembling, and clearly in pain, but still didn’t want anyone to touch him.

He didn’t understand yet that these humans weren’t here to hurt him.

Stephanie and her team stepped into that mess of a canyon, knowing it wouldn’t be easy. And it wasn’t. They were scratched, bleeding, exhausted, but still trying.

Pete wanted help. You could see it in his eyes. But he was still stuck in fight-or-flight mode.

It took three long hours of persistence just to get close enough to slip on a leash.

When they finally brought him to safety, they could see how much he’d been through. Cactus spines were poking out from everywhere, even his face and tongue.

He was so uncomfortable and stressed that the team had to sedate him just to get them all out. Hundreds of painful little spikes.

But with each one removed, it felt like a piece of his fear came out too.

Once Pete’s body started to heal, something incredible happened: his spirit did, too.

The grumpy, growly dog who wanted nothing to do with humans now started wagging his tail and leaning into pets. He even gave Stephanie sloppy dog kisses.

It turns out, Pete just needed someone to believe in him.

Before long, Pete became glued to Stephanie. She was his safe place, his hero.

With her, he was a whole new dog. But with others? Not so much. He still had walls up. After what he’d been through, who could blame him?

So Stephanie brought in Katie, a dog trainer who helps pups with rough pasts. Katie’s job was to help Pete learn that not every stranger is scary.

Pete’s come a long way since those rough days by the roadside and that thorny, cactus-covered canyon.

Now he’s full of life, bouncing around with that goofy puppy energy, as Stephanie shared in a YouTube video:

“He genuinely is an amazing dog. He still has puppy energy, so he’s just prancing around and just getting to be a dog that we don’t think he’s ever been able to be.”

And one day, when the time is right, he’ll find that perfect person who sees the sweet boy beneath the thorns.

And even though his forever home is still out there somewhere, he’s already found something pretty special. A second chance. A little peace. And a whole lot of love.

For now, that’s more than enough.