CASPER PHOTO VIA HAPPY TRAILS ANIMAL RESCUE
A large-breed dog who spent more than a month surviving by himself in southeast Orlando’s Split Oak Forest has become the unlikely face of a new fundraising effort for Happy Trails Animal Rescue (Website), and an anonymous donor is doubling every dollar raised.
Casper, a 5-year-old dog nicknamed the “Grey Ghost of Split Oak,” was first spotted in the wilderness area in early November. Too fearful of people to be approached, he evaded volunteers, humane traps, and trail cameras for weeks before finally being rescued in December. When he was brought in, he was in super bad shape.
“He was too terrified of people to allow them to get near him,” said Erin Swilley, founder of Happy Trails Animal Rescue. “When he was finally rescued, he was covered in ticks, had bite wounds, and his eyes were badly infected.”
Casper spent months in boarding care while the rescue searched for a foster or adoptive family. According to Swilley, despite his rough start, his personality came through: affectionate, goofy, housebroken, and fond of car rides and treats. In March, he moved into a foster-to-adopt home for the first time. Casper developed severe separation anxiety tied to his past trauma. He escaped standard crates and learned to open doors, creating real safety concerns when left alone, but his foster-to-adopt family stayed committed to him anyway.
Happy Trails launched a campaign to fund a professional train-and-board program and a specialized crate, which all cost about $3,000 total. The post was shared more than 200 times on Facebook, and before the campaign hit its goal, an anonymous donor stepped forward and covered the full amount.
Moved by Casper’s story, that same donor has now pledged to match the next $1,500 raised in his honor, doubling the impact of every community donation going forward.
“Casper has already overcome so much,” Swilley said. “He survived the wilderness. He survived injuries and infection. And despite the odds, he found his forever family. Now, thanks to our generous donor, every dollar the community continues to give will go twice as far to help the next dog who needs us just like Casper did.”
The matching campaign is live now. Tax-deductible donations can be made HERE.
