We are self-professed dog lovers, which means the idea of a pooch wandering the streets, cold and hungry is enough to bring tears to our eyes. Sure, some naysayers like to poo-poo our connections to the furry creatures, but we think it’s hard to deny the fact that man’s best friend would rather be with, well, MAN, than homeless and fending for themselves.

Fortunately, there are slews of people out there who feel the same way as us and do everything they can to place these stray dogs in safe situations—even if it does mean resorting to extreme measures.

In an anxiety-inducing clip posted by the Los Angeles area charity Hope for Paws, we get an intimate view of what it takes to remove a dog from the streets. The video follows several super patient rescuers attempting to save a little pooch named Houdini from a hard life of living on the San Pedro docks.

You wouldn’t believe it, but it had actually been two years since workers first spotted the little fellow, but even though they were feeding the dog regularly, he never got close enough to be snatched up.

Eventually, there came a time when having Houdini roaming around an area with heavy machinery became just too dangerous, so animal control was called. Although several capture attempts were made, not even a dog catcher could get hold of the elusive Houdini!

A sneaky dog’s friendly capture

For four long days, volunteers with Hope for Paws struggled to secure little Houdini, but after their first attempt, it became clear that this pooch wasn’t going to make it easy on the well-meaning folks.

At first, they were hoping that the doggie would be enticed by the prospect of food, but he barely raised a furry, little eyebrow at their offerings.

Next, they constructed a complicated maze of plastic fences in order to trap the pooch, but again, Houdini was just not having it.

Finally, they had to bring in the big guns—an animal control pole that is meant to fit around the stray dog’s body, like a lasso. Although the rescuers didn’t have an easy time of it, they were finally able to catch him with this humane tool.

It was then that they calmed him down, brought him to his temporary shelter, and ultimately saw the true nature of this dog—he is SUCH a sweetheart. Who could have guessed?!

Now, at the end of the video, an adoption link flashes on the screen, requesting anyone who is serious about bringing the dog into their home to contact the charity.

We’re not going to lie, it’s definitely something we thought about doing, but it looks like someone else has beat us to the punch. Bummer! With that said, we are SO happy to hear this dog is finally out of harm’s way and in a loving home.

To see the mind-blowing rescue for yourself, be sure to click on Hope For Paws’ video below. Well, that Houdini sure does live up to his name!

Give us your thoughts on this nail-biting dog rescue mission! Have you ever attempted to rescue a stray dog? If so, how did you go about doing it? Do you own a dog that once lived on the streets?