Cameron (Cam) H. grew up with rescue dogs ranging from dogfighting victims to victims of neglect. His love for canines — specifically rescues — began young.

“It was awesome being able to rehabilitate those dogs and help them live a full, joyful life,” said Cam.

So, after Cam and his fiancée, Lia, sadly lost their dog Dozer to an ongoing injury, they were ready to open their hearts and home to another dog in need.

Cam and Lia’s last dog, Dozer, who sadly passed away five years after suffering a spinal cord injury.

“We went from caring for a dog, helping him go to the restroom, handfeeding him and helping him walk to nothing,” Cam recalled. “It left us feeling empty and all that extra time we would’ve been spending with the dog, we spent missing him. We had a giant hole in our hearts – the house felt empty and didn’t have any life in it. That’s when I decided it would probably be best for us to get another dog and fill that hole. A lot of these shelter dogs are really awesome dogs, and we wanted to be able to give one the home they deserve."

Luckily, Cam and Lia had some pretty close connections at the ASPCA Cruelty Recovery Center (CRC) in Columbus, Ohio. Rachel Helmick, Cam’s sister-in-law and senior manager of Placement and Foster at the CRC, knew just the dog for them.

Rescuing Russer

On November 22, 2023, in response to the local state of emergency resulting from the North Hangar Fire in Tustin, California, we partnered with Orange County Animal Care (OCAC) to fly more than 100 shelter dogs to the CRC.

Among the group was 3-year-old pit bull-mix, Russer.

“Russer was the goofiest and happiest boy while at the CRC,” Rachel told us. “He was so full of life and always brought a smile to everyone’s faces. Whether he was flopping over to get belly rubs or zooming around in playgroup, he always had our staff laughing at his silly antics. He was instantly friends with everyone he met, humans and dogs alike, and would often come up to the admin space and spend time with us in the office. He would romp around with his toys, rearrange and decorate the office to his liking, eat all of treats he could find, get lots of snuggles and then he’d settle down for a good nap.”

Not only was Russer great with humans, but he was great with other dogs, too. The behavior team at the CRC often used him as a “helper dog” in playgroups to evaluate new dogs when they came into the shelter because he could find a way to play with every dog, no matter their style.

Though he was the most loving, playful dog outside of his kennel, Russer showed some arousal behaviors while in the shelter.

“He was a young boy living in a shelter for over six months, which, understandably, was difficult for him,” explained Rachel. “He struggled in the shelter environment due to his high energy personality. Right now, shelters are full of young, high energy pit bull-type dogs, so it was hard to find him a home. Russer was definitely the underdog. He went unnoticed for so long, but we knew that once someone gave him a chance to let his personality shine, he would steal their hearts — and that’s exactly what happened with Cameron and Lia!”

Meeting His New Family

As soon as Cam and Lia met Russer, everyone in the room knew it was kismet.

“I knew Russer would be the perfect fit immediately when he came into their meet-and-greet,” remembered Rachel. “Russer got the zoomies and played with Cameron until everyone in the room was laughing. He jumped right up on the couch next to them as if to say, ‘Yup, I’m ready to go home!’ It was a heartwarming moment, and it couldn’t have been a better fit.”

During their first meeting, Russer received a toy and was so excited about it. He paraded it around and was extremely friendly and excited to see Cam and Lia, so much so, that they fell in love instantly.

“We knew as soon as we met him what kind of dog he was and that he would be part of the family,” said Lia. “We’ve had rescues before, so we were just excited that we could take him out of the shelter and give him a good home.”

“We were surprised that he was still there,” Cameron added. “He’s very calm but as it turns out he would just get a little too excited in his kennel, so a lot of people overlooked him. When he got out of the kennel he would completely transform and turn into a very great family dog. We were just so surprised we were lucky enough to be able to grab him and bring him home with us.”

The couple were able to bring Russer home that day, and that’s when things really sank in for them that they had just adopted their perfect dog.

“The night we brought him home we knew he was the dog for us,” said Lia. “He immediately crawled right into bed, snuggled up next to us and slept all night long. He got along so well with us, and we knew pretty much immediately that he was our dog.”

“We were going to keep him in his crate but then we caved and let him sleep with us,” recalled Cam. “That’s how we discovered how cuddly, lovey and gentle he was. He now has a permanent spot between us, and he sleeps there every single night.”

Fitting in Seamlessly

Cam and Lia were impressed by how seamlessly Russer fit into their family and how calm he was. Having two cats already in the home, they had to separate everyone at first so they could get used to each other’s scents, but after some time, everyone acclimated well.

“We did some positive reinforcement with Russer just because he was so interested in the cats,” explained Lia, “but it was a pretty easy transition process, we just had to work with him and after a while they became best buds.”

“Now, sometimes the kitties come in and cuddle with him too, but he doesn’t know — he’s sleeping,” Cam commented. “The cats will come up on top of him and lay on him. He sleeps right through it.”

With a few months to settle into his new digs, Russer’s personality has blossomed, showing off just how comfortable he is.

“He’s gotten more comfortable and more daring,” Cam told us. “When he first got here, he was very reserved, very sweet and very cuddly. Now he’s crazy! He likes to do laps around the apartment and play. He can unzip bags and open Tupperware. He watches TV and listens to our phone calls. You can tell he’s really comfortable and really feels safe in his environment. He opened up a lot and you can really start to see his personality.”

Russer has also found a love for blankets, pillows and sheets. He’ll dive into the sheets on Cam and Lia’s bed and do donuts, has his very own blankets and will lay on top of pillows, so they keep one in his crate — which he loves!

Not only has Russer found his love for the quieter things, but he’s become a big adventurer.

“Cameron and Lia love taking Russer on hikes, to the park and on endless adventures,” said Rachel, who gets to see Russer often. “They take him swimming, let him zoom around their apartment and endlessly spoil him. Russer really hit the jackpot with them!”

Keeping an Open Mind

As experienced rescue dog parents, Cameron and Lia have seen how different a dog can be outside the shelter versus in the shelter. Though calm and gentle at home, it took Russer seven long months of being overlooked in the shelter before finally finding someone who would give him a chance.

“These dogs are very different in the shelter versus outside the shelter, and very different once they become comfortable with their environment,” explained Cameron, who has experience volunteering in shelters. “I’ve had dogs that the minute they leave the shelter, they’re a completely different dog. It’s important to realize the dog you see there might not be having their best day.”

“Some shelter dogs have never been to a home before, so adjusting to a house is a big adjustment,” Cam continues, adding some advice for adopters. “Be patient and allow them to become comfortable and show them what’s right and reward that. Remember that this is a process.”

“It does take some work to get them acclimated to a new home,” adds Lia, “but that’s true with any dog, not just a shelter dog. And get excited to have a new best friend.”

And find a new best friend they certainly did! Cam and Lia are still reeling that they were able to find a dog as wonderful as Russer.

“Oh my gosh, Russer has changed out lives for the better,” Lia told us. “He has brought us so much joy and happiness and we get so excited to come home to him every day. It gives Cameron and I something to bond over and love together. We just get so excited to take him on walks and play with him every day.”

“Some days I’ll have a terrible day at work and not want to come home, not want to deal with anything and the moment I walk through the door my heart warms up and I get so excited — it’s like a light switch,” adds Cam. “He’s able to help me disconnect from everything that’s going on in my life and have fun with him and enjoy the moments. And he completes our family and brings a lot more love and happiness into the household. Having someone always as happy as Russer is a big gamechanger when it comes to dealing with the day ins and day outs.”