When You See Why This Adorable Pup Leaves Half His Food, It'll Make You Cry

Most dogs gobble up all their food the moment you set the plate down. Not Otávio, though. Otávio came from a difficult life when he was adopted by Joice Lamas and her husband. He had been rescued from a home filled with abuse and neglect, and he was shy and anxious around humans.

It took a lot of patience before Otávio came out of his shell. From wincing whenever someone moved to pet him, he now cuddles with people he trusts. His tail wags, he’s much happier, and he’s put most of his tragic past behind him – except in one area: food.

Lamas feeds Otávio a good, healthy serving for his meals. But even if the bowl looks as full as can be, Otávio never eats it all. He always leaves half of it behind. It’s an unusual behavior in a pup, and there’s no way to know exactly why he does that, but Lamas has a good guess.

She thinks that the years of neglect Otávio faced have made him wary of lacking food, so now he rations his meals so he has more to eat later. It’s truly heartbreaking to consider!

Lamas has tried to encourage him to eat his full meal, but Otávio hasn’t done so yet. It seems that, while the physical scars have healed, the emotional ones will take a little more time to move on from. Lamas hopes that, one day, Otávio will realize that he’s safe and that he’ll never have to worry about lacking food ever again.

It can be difficult to take in a pup who was abused, says Lamas, but she feels that it is all worth it when she watches them blossom. Otávio is always grateful for all the love he receives, and he’s getting better every single day.

Images & Feature Image Source: Joice Lamas