After being stolen from his family thirteen years ago and surviving what followed, Rufus is finally wobbling around a home that feels like his, and the future’s looking so bright.
Hopefield, South Africa (06 November 2025) – A month ago, we shared the rescue story of a Miniature Schnauzer named Karnallie. He was saved from a busy road and had endured so much before his rescuer found him.
Stolen as a young dog thirteen years ago, he vanished from his family’s life, and somehow survived long enough for a stranger to stop and say, ‘not today.’
When Tim spotted him lost and wandering the street with a coat matted in dreadlocks, his instinct was to act. After earning Karnallie’s trust (not an easy job) Tim took him to the Animal Welfare Society of SA (AWS SA). There, they discovered he had a microchip. One phone call later, and the details around his troubling past unfolded.
Sadly, Karnallie’s owners couldn’t take him back. Thankfully, his rescuers Tim and Claire, were prepared to give an old, neglected doggie a new chapter in their family.
They took him home, combed out his knots, and showered him with something his life had been missing for so long. Love.
This is exactly why we root so hard for second chances.
Today, he goes by Rufus.
The AWS SA shared the happiest update with us this week, from Rufus’ new family!
“It’s been just over a month since we first met Rufus at that busy intersection. We soon discovered that he’s almost completely blind and deaf, relying mostly on scent to find his way around. He now lives with us on a smallholding just outside Hopefield, where he spends his days sunning himself on the porch with our other rescue dogs.”
Rufus is loving farm life. Even though he can’t quite see, he’s finding his flow well.
“Despite his challenges, Rufus has learned his way around the farmhouse and even takes himself out for toilet breaks though sometimes he gets ‘lost’ and stands still as if deep in thought.”
Tim and Claire are nursing their old pup back to health and teaching him about love again.
“Due to his arthritis and lack of teeth, Rufus enjoys a soft diet and a careful combination of supplements to ease his pain”
He has his battle scars, but he’s bouncing back so well. What’s even better is that they’re looking at how to help Rufus get his sight back!
“Watching him slowly regain his strength, relax and trust again has been a joy beyond words.
What we thought might be hospice care for his final days now feels like the start of a brand-new chapter. His coat is growing back, his weight is improving and we’re even considering a crowdfunding campaign for cataract surgery to give him his sight back. Something tells us this little fighter isn’t done yet.”
It’s unbelievable how much has changed in just a few short weeks. The same doggie who once flinched at a kind hand now sunbathes on the porch and wobbles around a home that finally feels like his.
And the idea that he might see again? That he might open his eyes one day and actually recognise the people who saved him?
We are crying.
“Rufus may not see or hear the world around him, but he feels love in every gentle touch and his journey is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late for a second chance,” shares the AWS SA.
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