Little strays Elmer and Elsie were scared and covered with motor oil when members of Hope For Paws found them alone in a Los Angeles-area junkyard.

Elsie was so terrified that upon seeing her rescuers, she darted well out of arm's reach underneath a low platform. It took time, but with characteristic patience and kindness, Hope For Paws' Eldad Hagar and Lisa Arturo eventually coaxed both of the pups out of their hiding places.

As with the other homeless dogs the Los Angeles-based animal rescue has saved, Elmer and Elsie's transformations weren't just physical. Even before the pair was given a much-needed bath and check up, it was clear that in their rescuers' care they were becoming more comfortable around people again, and -- however hesitantly -- affectionate. Soon, they were playing and cuddling with the best of rescue dogs.

Witnessing such change is the most gratifying part of the job for Hagar.

"The most rewarding [thing] is seeing the transformation of the animals from at their worst to at their best, then finding them amazing homes," he once told Modern Dog Magazine.