<div><p>Everyone loves a rags to riches story, but there's a way to make those tales even better: make them about a dog.</p><p>I'm not trying to pitch a Hollywood screenplay, and if I were it'd have to be a true story, because Ben the Beagle has lived a very real rags to riches story. He went from being discarded, covered in mange and nearly furless, to being a regular visitor to the White House.</p><p>Ben was brought into the San Antonio Animal Care Services center April of last year. He was covered in mange and looked miserable. There was almost no chance for adoption with such a diseased looking puppy.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/transformation---louder-with-crowder.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/transformation---louder-with-crowder_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="Happy Ending" alt="Happy Ending" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Louder with Crowder</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>After spending almost a month recovering at a vet clinic, Ben was sent to New York-based Rescue Dogs Rock NYC. They specialize in adopting dogs from kill shelters, abusive homes or other various bad situations.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>The group also works closely with noted animal activist <a href="https://www.shared.com/shes-using-her-power-in-washington-to-help-save-dogs/">Lara Trump</a>.</p><p>Continue to the next page to see how Ben is now living the high life</p><p></p><p>Lara has made it her goal to use her influence in Washington to try to advance the rights and protections of dogs, especially beagles. Beagles are the breed most commonly used in lab testing, and get put down by the thousands every year.</p><p>Ben might have shared a similar fate to those unlucky dogs, but Lara and her husband, Eric Trump, agreed to foster Ben and the couple soon fell in love.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_1050px.jpg 1050w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_1150px.jpg 1150w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/ben-the-beagle---Youtube_GH_content_1250px.jpg 1250w" sizes="89vw" title="Family" alt="Family" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>YouTube</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>Gerry Leah Zavala helped unite Trump with Ben and she's over the moon that he was taken in.</p><p>"We've gotten quite a few pictures of him! He's happy and spoiled," she said.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>Lord knows that they have the ability to seriously spoil their bets. The couple frequently posts pictures of their dogs, Ben and another dog named Charlie, lounging about the mansion or playing in huge yards.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/happy-ben---dailymail.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/happy-ben---dailymail_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="High Life" alt="High Life" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>DailyMail</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>If it was anybody else I'd be jealous. But seeing Ben happy and healthy just brings a tear to my eye now.</p></div>