It was nothing short of a miracle that a young dog named Dice managed to survive after being locked in a cage outside for more than a week—with no food, no water, and no one coming to help. Left alone and forgotten, Dice’s story could have ended in tragedy. But instead, it became one of resilience, kindness, and an unbreakable will to live.
In early November 2017, police officers were delivering eviction notices in a neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when they were approached by a group of children. The kids pointed to a cage outside a nearby abandoned apartment. Inside the cage sat Dice, a frail and quiet dog who had been left behind. According to Tracey Godin, co-founder of Feeling Fine Rescue in Loxahatchee, Florida, the apartment’s tenants had moved out and abandoned the dog in the backyard. “They left him there in a crate with no food or water,” Godin explained. “The police asked the children how long the dog had been there, and they guessed it had been at least a week. But honestly, Dice had likely been suffering much longer. You could tell he hadn’t been fed properly for months. That final week without anything just pushed him over the edge.”
Animal Control was called to the scene, and Dice was quickly taken to a local shelter. A friend of Godin, who volunteers at that shelter, saw Dice arrive and took a few pictures of the emaciated dog. When Godin received those images, she was completely overwhelmed. “It just took my breath away,” she said. “I couldn’t understand how he was still alive. I saw the photos and burst into tears.” She and her daughter Micaela rushed to the shelter the next morning and took Dice directly to a veterinarian for emergency care.
At that point, Dice weighed just 30 pounds—less than half of what a healthy dog his size should weigh. “He should’ve been at least 65 pounds,” Godin said. “He was severely dehydrated and anemic. You could see every bone in his body. His skull was prominent, his muscles were gone, and his eyes were deeply sunken. I truly believe that if he had stayed in that crate just one more day, he wouldn’t have survived.”
After stabilizing at the veterinary clinic, Dice was brought home to the rescue center that Godin and her daughter run. To their amazement, he began showing signs of improvement almost immediately. Dr. Muzzy, one of the attending veterinarians, was stunned by Dice’s survival. “It’s very rare we see dogs in this condition,” he said. “It’s pretty miraculous that he pulled through.”
Another vet, Dr. Sayyid, began treating Dice by carefully reintroducing food and water in small amounts to avoid shocking his system. Within a few days, Dice had gained four pounds, but he was still severely malnourished. “He’s making progress, but he still has a long road ahead,” said Dr. Sayyid, pointing to Dice’s fragile frame. Miraculously, aside from his severe emaciation and a slight limp—likely from being confined for so long—Dice’s internal organs were functioning well. And despite everything he had endured, Dice remained upbeat. “He wags his tail nonstop,” Godin said. “Sometimes he wags it so hard, he ends up bruising himself. He gives kisses. He just wants treats and a hug.”
Dice’s transformation over the following weeks was nothing short of extraordinary. “Two weeks later, he was up to 50 pounds,” Godin shared. “And by the end of that weekend, he hit 65 pounds. Every single day, we saw visible improvement. And then something amazing happened—he started to smile. His entire face changed. You could see the happiness shine through.” For someone who had suffered so much at the hands of humans, Dice was surprisingly eager to trust and love again. “He never hesitated,” Godin said. “From the moment we met him, he was the most loving, affectionate dog. He has this incredible personality.”
In late December, a family searching for a third dog came across Dice’s story. “They fell in love with him instantly,” Godin recalled. “They visited several times and eventually asked if they could do a meet-and-greet at their home with their two current dogs.” The meeting was a total success. Not only did Dice get along beautifully with their dogs, but he also bonded with their two young children. After a trial period, the family called Godin with their decision. “They told me, ‘We’re even more in love with him now than when we first met him. We don’t want to give him up.’ I was crying on the phone. This family is everything we could have hoped for. I truly believe Dice found the perfect home.”
Reflecting on Dice’s journey, Godin said, “We rescue a lot of dogs. Each one has a story. Each one comes from something terrible. But Dice is different in how quickly he recovered and how gracefully he did it. He didn’t just survive—he thrived. He’s strong, he’s lucky, and above all, he’s resilient. If there was ever a miracle, Dice is it.”