Dog so abused that the slightest touch was painful has found love again and won't stop cuddling

Late last summer, the Border Collie Rescue and Rehab of Texas took in a dog that was in pretty bad shape. "Kong" was losing his fur, and his skin was painfully diseased and sunburned. He had been living in a shelter in Oklahoma when he was discovered by the border collie lovers in Texas.
His skin was so painful that no one could pet him, but everyone could tell he was a real sweetheart. They went right to work on treating his distressing situation so they could find him a "furever" home.
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It was obvious that Kong wanted to be loved, and he had a lot of love to give. But until his skin healed, he wasn't fit to be adopted. Then the healing began and his beautiful coat started growing back in. He was feeling so much better by then that Border Collie Rescue decided to let people know he wanted a permanent home.
They made a Facebook profile for him and put his picture up online. In no time, someone contacted them to say, "I want him!" Craig Hartsell had seen his profile and was profoundly affected by it. “I looked through his profile and just immediately fell in love with his single picture and the description they put on the page. His foster mom described his temperament and personality and I described my life to her a bit and she said we sounded perfect for each other," said Hartsell.
The now-gorgeous dog was immediately taken with his new friend. As Hartsell signed the final adoption papers, he decided Kong needed a new name. He changed the happy dog's moniker to ZIB, after a stray dog the Russians sent up in space. “The original was just a lost dog running around base that they sent to space for successful flight,” Hatsell said. “I felt this was fitting for my ZIB because he was just a lost dog until someone picked him up and helped nurture him back to health. Now he and I are off to the stars together!”
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We all love happy endings, and this story certainly has one. ZIB is now at home with Hartsell, and Border Collie Rescue has one more success story to share. Why don't you share this tale as well? We'd love to hear what you think of the amazing transition from a dog who couldn't be petted for the pain it caused to one who can't get enough of his human BFF's hugs!