When Lucie’s Animal Rescue got a call from someone wanting to surrender their dog, Lucie Holmes, the rescue’s founder, handled it the same way she always does.

“His owner asked me to take him [because] ‘he barked at other dogs and people when out’ and he needed to go,” Holmes told The Dodo. “I asked a few questions, such as what training has he had to help him overcome these issues, and she replied, ‘He’s had none.’ I explained I was full, and that I would be in touch when I had room for him.”

The dog had apparently only been with his family for five weeks, and Holmes hoped they would figure out a way to work through their issues. Instead, she got a call that shocked her to her core.

“[Two and a half] hours later, I received a call from a local vet to say the dog had been taken in to be euthanised,” Holmes said. “Thankfully, the vets refused. I then contacted the owner again and said I’d shuffle things around and somehow fit him in. There was no need for his life to end just because he needed some time and training.”

Despite having too many rescues already, Holmes made room for the dog, Marcus, in order to save his life. When Marcus first arrived in his new temporary home, he was a little nervous, but it didn’t take long for him to start soaking up all of the love he’d been missing out on.

“He came to us very scared and nervous, but within an hour was playing with the other dogs here and my children and settling in well,” Holmes said. “Five days in … and still no barking!”

It turns out that all Marcus needed was a chance, and now he has the opportunity to truly thrive.

“He’s currently under assessment, but we’ve had lots of applications for him so will hopefully find him the best forever home,” Holmes said.