Pet Pawfection

Our miracle dog, a young beagle mix, started his adventure just like many other abandoned dogs. He was left anonymously at a Florence, Alabama pound, and when no human came forward to claim him or adopt him, our fur brother was placed in a gas chamber with a handful of other canines left for dead. All together, 18 dogs were supposed to die that day but this special dog startled a young animal control officer named Berry when he opened the chamber and was greeted by a wagging tail. "I opened the door, he stood right up and walked right out," said Berry. "He was fine."

From that moment, Daniel, named after the biblical prophet in the Bible who survived the lion's den, became a celebrity and has been a popular topic around the country. Only three other dogs have survived the gas chamber at this facility in the last 12 years. According to Linda Schiller, the founder of Eleventh Hour Rescue, "He's one in a million. This doesn't happen. They don't survive."

Daniel was driven to Tennessee and then flown to New Jersey via Pilots N Paws to join his foster pack. Hundreds of humans have applied to give Daniel his furever home, so his human foster mommy has a lot of work to do! You can follow Daniel's progress on the Eleventh Hour Rescue web site. He is still thinner than he should be, but he is happy and healthy.

Using a gas chamber to euthanize animals is banned in some states. Alabama joins that list next year thanks to the law named after another dog, Beckham, who also survived. We celebrate Daniel's triumph but still remember the others who aren't as fortunate. As Schiller reminds us, "We have dogs that are just as wonderful as [Daniel] that were on death row, but didn't walk out of a gas chamber." As for those still on death row, "they're happy and they're wagging their tails and ready to be adopted."

Good luck Daniel. We wish you the best. Two paws up to ABC News and NOLA.com for the scoop!

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