Kathleen first saw Scruffy near Sylvia’s Blue Tarp taco stand in Southern Baja, Mexico. Scruffy was so afraid of people, he wouldn’t let her get within 30 feet! His mange was so bad that he was almost hairless. He only had a few patches of fur on his back. Kathleen threw chips in his direction in order to give him some food.

Kathleen worried about Scruffy and kept looking for him near the taco stand but couldn’t find him. After 6 weeks, she finally spotted him in another part of Los Barriles. Kathleen immediately bought a package of hot dogs in order to lure him to her. She fed other dogs, hoping Scruffy would watch and decide to trust her.

Kathleen was patient. Finally, and all at once, Scruffy made the decision to trust her. He came to her for the hot dog, and let her pick him up. Kathleen took Scruffy home, cleaned him up and started to treat his mange. With his decision to trust, Scruffy’s life changed. Instantly he became happy and content.

After several months, Scruffy looked like a normal dog. His skin healed and his fur grew back.

Scruffy is intelligent, playful and completely dedicated to his ‘mommy’ Kathleen. Scruffy is upbeat and has a great attitude toward life. His outlook has earned him a reputation for being ‘the happiest dog.’