Shawshank

Available for Adoption

Their Journey So Far

1. A Photo of Hope

   August 23, 2026

   This is the moment an abandoned dog was given his first hug — the moment he knew help had finally arrived. He'd been left behind in a cage with no food and no water, in 108-degree heat. What followed was an epic story of survival: of a community coming together, of people refusing to give up, and of one incredible dog who never lost hope. For tonight, just know this: he's safe. He's out of that cage and settling into his new foster home with the amazing Natalie. Huge thanks to Ender's Wish Foundation and Feeding Perris Strays for their tireless work to help make this rescue — and so many others — possible.

   Ender's Wish Foundation,Feeding Perris Strays

   

2. Shawshank's Great Escape

   August 24, 2026

   Shawshank was abandoned to die — locked in a cage on a demolished property, with no food, no water, in 110-degree heat. And somehow, he held on. Our friends at Feeding Perris Strays and Ender's Wish Foundation discovered him and immediately began bringing him food and water while searching for a rescue solution, then reached out to us. We needed a foster — Natalie said yes. We went to the property, saw him, and there was no question: we were getting him out of there. We named him Shawshank because someone left him in a prison, and he refused to lose hope. He held on until help arrived — and then we busted him out. What breaks our hearts most is what he wants now: connection. To be close. To be held. To be hugged. After everything humans failed to give him, this incredibly sweet boy still trusts us. Shawshank appears healthy, but he still needs vetting before he'll be ready for adoption. For now, he's safe with Natalie, learning what it feels like to be loved. It took a small village and multiple rescues to save this boy — we're incredibly grateful to Feeding Perris Strays and Ender's Wish Foundation for refusing to give up on him.

3. The Next Steps

   August 26, 2026

   Rescue doesn't end when a dog gets in the car — in many ways, that's when the real work begins. Shawshank is safe with Natalie, but he's basically a caveman learning how to live in a house: incredibly sweet, but with zero idea what being a family dog looks like, and Natalie is new to fostering. When she told us this week that she was feeling overwhelmed, she didn't ask us to take him back — she said she was committed to making it work but needed some help. That distinction matters. We immediately brought in one of our training partners to assess him, and the good news is she's confident she can help. Shawshank is already getting practical tools to work with, and once he's neutered and recovered, he'll start a formal training package — giving him time to decompress and learn that this strange new world of couches, people, and rules is safe. Responsible rescue isn't pulling a dog, posting a great rescue video, and leaving an overwhelmed foster to figure out the rest — it's supporting the dog and the human who opened their home to him. Shawshank still needs to be neutered and needs professional training, and The Comeback Pack is covering that cost. If his rescue touched your heart, this is the part where he still needs you: even a small donation via Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal helps us finish what we started.

4. Experienced Foster Needed

   August 27, 2026

   Shawshank is the dog who was left to die in a cage without food or water in sweltering heat. Somehow, he survived — and despite everything humans have done to him, he is incredibly sweet. He wants love so badly. But Shawshank has never known how to be a dog in a home. He has never known the comfort of a house, the love of a family, the adventure of a good walk, the safety of a leash. All of this is brand new to him, and right now he is struggling to understand his new world. What does that look like? It looks like pacing around the house, trying to figure out where on earth he is. It looks like panting because he's overwhelmed. It looks like trying to work out where he fits in, where to sleep, where to eat, how to play. Shawshank isn't vicious. He isn't mean. He's confused. Within the first few days of his rescue, it became clear just how much he has to learn. His foster family loves him, but an inexperienced foster home with a very young child simply isn't the right environment for this stage of his journey. After working together, his foster, a trainer, and our placement team collectively decided that moving Shawshank to a more experienced foster home is in everyone's best interest — including his. And that's where we need you. We know experienced fosters are even harder to find than fosters, but Shawshank has captured so many hearts, and we're hoping that somewhere out there is someone willing to give him even a couple of weeks to decompress and learn the ropes. He's basically a caveman trying to figure out how to live in a house. He doesn't need perfection. He needs time, patience, structure, and someone experienced enough to show him how to be a dog. He must stay near Murrieta, CA, because his neuter appointment is coming up. If you think you can help him, we need you. He needs you.

   

5. The Director's Cut

   August 28, 2026

   Shawshank was neutered today. He came through it well, even if he's not particularly happy with us at the moment. It's a small procedure and a big milestone: it clears the last medical hurdle standing between him and adoption, and it means the formal training package we promised him can finally begin. There's still real work ahead. Shawshank has to learn how to be a family dog, because quite simply, no one has ever taught him how. Walking nicely on a leash. Settling into a home. Understanding routines. Learning what's expected of him. All of that is teachable, and all of it takes time and someone patient enough to give it to him. But here's the thing about Shawshank: he already came with the part we can't teach. He's loving. He's curious. He's affectionate. He wants to connect with people, and he wants to be part of whatever is going on. You can teach a dog to walk politely past a stranger. You cannot teach a dog to want people the way this one does. That part he's had all along, through the cage, through the heat, through everything humans failed to give him. So the ask we made yesterday still stands. Shawshank needs an experienced foster near Murrieta, CA who can give him a few weeks of patience and structure while he recovers and trains. He has the hard part covered. Now we just have to show him how to be somebody's dog.

6. Good Bones

   August 31, 2026

   We joke that Shawshank is a bit of a fixer-upper, but this boy has really good bones. He's doing great and still recovering from his neuter, and he is officially crate trained — a huge improvement. He's getting better on leash every day, and he's friendly with other dogs, though his social skills could still use some polishing. Inside the house? "Maniac" might be fair; manners are very much a work in progress. Once he's fully healed, he'll start a training program with Better Together Dog Training to learn all the things no one ever bothered to teach him. Shawshank is not an easy dog right now, and we think eventually he will be — we didn't rescue him because we thought he'd be an easy save. If you'd like to foster him and be part of his comeback, apply at thecomebackpack.org.

   

7. Absolute Stunner

   September 1, 2026

   Is it just us, or is Shawshank the most handsome boy ever? He was rescued from unbelievable circumstances. He got a bath and a bandana, and BAM! Absolute stunner. This cutie is slowly adapting to family life. He's as sweet as can be, and we're so excited for the day we can announce he's ready for adoption. Stay tuned. The comeback is just beginning.

   

8. Ready for Adoption

   September 5, 2026

   The day we've been waiting to announce: Shawshank is officially listed for adoption. He's about 3 years old and around 43 pounds, possibly a Heeler mix, neutered, vaccinated, and good with other dogs. He is still not a turnkey dog. Leash manners and house manners are a work in progress, and the right family will be one that sees a very affectionate caveman learning to live in a house and wants to keep teaching him. If that's you, his listing has everything you need to start an inquiry.

9. Heading to Board & Train

   September 10, 2026

   Do you remember Shawshank — the dog left behind in a cage with no food or water in 108-degree heat? Look at him now, wrestling and snuggling with his foster's own dog like he's always belonged there. Next week, Shawshank is heading to a professional board-and-train program. We already know he's going to be amazing on the other side of it, but this is the part of his comeback that takes an investment: time, patience, and the right tools to teach him everything no one ever bothered to before. Shawshank is still looking for his forever family. If you think his comeback could end with you, apply at thecomebackpack.org.

10. Living for Affection

    September 11, 2026

    You need to see Shawshank now. Safe in his foster home, he has done an incredible job decompressing, and we're getting to see who he really is: a big boy convinced he's a lap dog, who absolutely lives for affection. He wants to be close, to be loved, and to soak up every bit of attention he missed out on before. Professional training is a real expense for a small rescue, even with the generous discount we've been given, but we believe Shawshank is worth the investment. He's already spent far too much of his life treated like he wasn't worthy of care, comfort, or kindness, and we don't want him to spend another day that way.

    

11. Board & Train Officially Begins

    September 15, 2026

    This is where Shawshank's journey started: abandoned in a cage without food or water, in temperatures reaching nearly 110 degrees. When he came to The Comeback Pack, he was basically a sweet caveman — he didn't know how to eat from a dog bowl, didn't understand drinking from a water bowl, and didn't know how to relax inside a house. He simply had never learned how to be a dog who lived with a family. Since then, Shawshank has been decompressing in a loving foster home, and the progress has been incredible: he's ridiculously affectionate, snuggly, and eager to connect with people. And today is another huge step in his comeback — Shawshank officially starts his board-and-train program with positive-reinforcement trainer Juli Duran of Better Together Dog Training, a wonderful advocate for dogs and a great friend to The Comeback Pack. This isn't about fixing a bad dog; there is nothing bad about him. He simply missed the part of life where puppies normally learn how to live in our world, and he still needs help with leash skills, house manners, and all the little rules humans expect dogs to somehow understand. His future adopter will need to understand where he came from and continue the work, but underneath everything he still has to learn is a dog who already knows the most important part: how to love somebody.

    • Meet Better Together Dog Training

    

12. First Full Day of Training

    September 16, 2026

    Shawshank's first full day at board & train, and he is thriving. Tasks, mental stimulation, exercise, attention, love — this boy is soaking up every second of it. Watching him take to it all so fast has us feeling like ridiculously proud parents: we were there when he was desperate for help, and seeing him now having the time of his life is exactly why this investment mattered. Huge thanks to Juli Duran of Better Together Dog Training for pouring so much into our boy. We're so proud of you, Shawshank.

13. Helping With Interior Design

    September 22, 2026

    Shawshank is still hard at work at board & train, where he's learning important life skills like manners, confidence, and apparently interior design. Didn't like where that water jug or rake were sitting? Consider it handled — he's just helping. All joking aside, Shawshank is hilarious, loving, full of personality, and going to make the perfect dog for the right adopter. Huge thanks to Better Together Dog Training for bringing out the best in this very entertaining boy and letting his personality shine while he learns. He's still working hard in training, but somebody out there needs this ridiculous, wonderful dog in their life.

14. So Proud

    September 25, 2026

    Shawshank is so proud. He has been doing so well in training that he was gifted his very own tire to try to move around the yard, and just look at that smile. Thank you to Better Together Dog Training for giving our sweet Shawshank the tools to help him get adopted and stay adopted. Way to go, Shawshank!

    

15. Matching Shirts and Happy Feet

    October 2, 2026

    How cute is Shawshank with his best buddy wearing a matching shirt? When you foster, of course you have to have a matching shirt. Shawshank will stay with his trainer and keep receiving daily training until his forever family is found. He's a really great boy and a lot of fun, and he gets along well with the trainer's own pack. And with a little training and a lot of good vibes, he's got a serious case of happy feet.

16. Upgrades Galore

    October 4, 2026

    Remember when we called Shawshank a "fixer-upper with very good bones"? Well, look at him now. The good bones were always there, but this boy now has upgrades galore. Shawshank has been thriving in professional training, and one little moment tells you so much about who he really is. Two of his foster siblings were having a minor disagreement, and Shawshank decided things were getting entirely too serious. His solution? Bring them a toy. He has always been sweet, affectionate, goofy, playful, and incredibly social at heart. He just came to us without many of the tools he needed to navigate life as a family dog, and now he has them. He loves to learn, wants to please, and has made incredible progress with his focus, leash skills, obedience, settling, and confidence, and he's doing wonderfully with the dogs in his foster home. A huge thank you to his trainer, and now beloved foster mama, Juli at Better Together Dog Training, who has poured so much time, patience, skill, and love into this boy. He started as our fixer-upper with good bones, and now he's got the upgrades, the tools, and the good bones too.

17. Fully Loaded

    October 7, 2026

    Shawshank is absolutely crushing it. This boy has spent the last several weeks working with a professional trainer, and whoever adopts him is getting a dog that comes fully loaded with upgrades. Shawshank is potty trained and crate trained, knows sit and down, is working on stay, has made huge strides with leash manners, and is learning to settle and look to his person for guidance. He's smart, food motivated, eager to please, and genuinely loves to learn. And underneath our former "fixer-upper"? One seriously cool dog. He's affectionate, goofy, playful, great with kids, loves other dogs, and is always down for fetch, tug, water play, or carrying around whatever random treasure he's selected for the day. Considering Shawshank spent his former life locked in a cage at a homeless encampment and came to us knowing essentially nothing about living in a home, his transformation is pretty incredible. Of course, his new family will need to keep reinforcing everything he's learned, but they won't be starting from scratch. This guy has been putting in the work. Good bones? Check. Professional upgrades? Check. Fully loaded? You bet.

18. This Is What a Comeback Looks Like

    October 13, 2026

    This is what a comeback looks like, and sometimes it looks like absolutely nothing at all. For those who don't remember Shawshank's story, he was rescued from deplorable conditions, locked in a cage without food or water in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. Thankfully, the incredible people at Feeding Perris Strays discovered him and brought him food and water while searching for a rescue willing to help. We stepped up, and Shawshank moved into a foster home. And, well, he was a bit of a caveman. He was incredibly sweet, but imagine taking a dog who had spent his life surviving and suddenly expecting him to understand how to live in a house. He wasn't aggressive. He wasn't mean. He just had absolutely no idea what was expected of him. After about a month in foster care, Shawshank entered a board-and-train program, where he's spent the last month learning through positive reinforcement. And the transformation has been extraordinary. Today, Shawshank is house trained, crate trained, leash trained, and plays beautifully with other dogs. He's learning manners, patience, self-control, and impulse control. He's still very much a heeler. He likes having a job, even if that job is rearranging every dog bed and toy in the house, but he's learning how to channel that energy. And that brings us to this video. It might not look particularly exciting. It's just a dog, completely relaxed, enjoying a peaceful moment with his trainer, who is now also his foster mom. But to us, this is everything. This is what it looks like when a dog who has lived in survival mode finally feels safe enough to let his guard down. Here's something we wish more people understood about rescue dogs: their behaviors are often communication. They're coping mechanisms, strategies that helped them survive circumstances we can barely imagine. You cannot simply remove a dog from a traumatic environment, place him in a living room, and expect those survival strategies to disappear overnight. They need time, patience and consistency, and sometimes they need someone to teach them that they don't have to survive anymore. They get to live. Shawshank has already made an incredible comeback. Now there's just one chapter left to write: his forever family. He's ready for someone who appreciates his heeler personality, will keep his clever mind engaged, and will love the wonderful dog he's become.

19. Pup Cups and Happy Endings

    October 16, 2026

    Happy Friday! Just a little reminder that sometimes it all works out. Not so long ago, Shawshank was locked in a cage, without food or water, in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees. He had no idea if anyone was coming to save him. Today? He's enjoying pup cups, soaking up love, and living a life he probably never imagined existed. He's spent the last several weeks learning how to be a dog through professional training, and he's absolutely blossoming. He's sweet, affectionate, house trained, crate trained, great with other dogs, and learning all the manners that make him such a wonderful companion. And the best part? His story isn't even finished yet. Somewhere out there is a family who will get to write the happiest chapter of all with him. Until then, we'll keep celebrating every pup cup, every tail wag, and every little victory. Because sometimes, the good guys really do win.

20. Fully Loaded and Ready

    October 19, 2026

    From left to die in a cage to one seriously awesome little buddy. If you love heelers, you are going to absolutely adore Shawshank. This handsome boy has one heck of a comeback story. Rescued from a heartbreaking situation where he was abandoned in a cage and left to die, Shawshank is now thriving, happy, confident, and ready for a family of his own. And here's where it gets even better: Shawshank comes fully loaded! We're talking hundreds of hours spent living and training with a certified dog trainer! He knows commands, walks beautifully on a leash, gets along with other dogs, and has learned so many of the skills that make a dog a wonderful companion. He's also good with kids! Given his breed and energy level, though, we think a home with older children would be the best fit. But his best quality? His heart. Shawshank is incredibly loving, affectionate, loyal, and eager to connect with his people. He's everything we adore about heelers: smart, devoted, full of personality, and happiest when he has someone to love. He's about 3 years old, a very manageable 43 pounds, and has come so far from the dog we first rescued. Someone is going to hit the absolute jackpot with this boy. And after everything he's survived, we can't wait to see him get the wonderful life he deserves.

21. We Have a Confession

    October 25, 2026

    We have a confession to make: so far, Shawshank has had zero applications. This is where he came from, a yard where he was left to die, and look at him now. He's house trained, crate trained, leash trained, dog friendly and knows his basic commands, and he's living with a professional trainer. Now this sweet boy just needs his forever person.

22. This Is Your Sign

    October 27, 2026

    This is your sign, and this is your dog. Shawshank is gorgeous, smart, sweet, hilarious and affectionate, and he has been fostered and trained by a professional positive reinforcement dog trainer, so he already has the foundations, the manners and the brains. He loves to play and is eager to learn, and considering where he came from, his joy for life is remarkable. And yet there are zero applications. We're asking you to just meet him: submit an application and spend a little time with him. His person is out there.

23. Upgrades Galore

    October 29, 2026

    Remember when we introduced Shawshank as a fixer-upper with very good bones? Somebody has been putting in the work. He came to us after a life locked in a cage at a homeless encampment in Perris, in temperatures over 100 degrees without reliable access to food or water, and entered rescue knowing nothing about living in a home. So we sent our affectionate little caveman to professional training, and it turns out he loves to learn. He knows sit and down, is working on stay, is crate trained and potty trained, has made great strides with his leash manners, and is even starting to spend time loose in the house unattended. He's affectionate, goofy, playful and curious, wonderful with kids, easy to handle, gentle with treats, and shows no resource guarding with food or toys. He loves other dogs too, and an appropriately matched canine sibling could be a great fit. He loves fetch, tug, digging and water play, and he loves to carry things around, not to destroy them, just to have something. He's still an active, busy boy who needs exercise, enrichment, structure and continued training; the outside world can be a lot for him, and getting into the car is still a work in progress. He never needed someone to teach him how to love. He just needed someone to give him the tools to navigate a world no one had taught him how to live in. Now he just needs his person.

24. Y'all Are Sleeping on Shawshank

    November 4, 2026

    Y'all are sleeping on Shawshank. Not one application. Not one interested adopter. Just crickets. And we genuinely cannot understand why, because this dog is something special. From the moment we rescued him, Shawshank has been incredibly sweet and grateful for his second chance. This boy looks at every person and every new day like it's another opportunity to be happy. And here's the kicker. He's been living with and training under a professional, licensed dog trainer for weeks! Sure, he's got those typical heeler quirks, but he's also house trained, crate trained, leash trained, dog friendly, and practically move-in ready! He's handsome. He's sweet. He's smart. And someone is going to be ridiculously lucky to call him theirs. Please share this boy! We know his people are out there. We just need your help finding them!