Sometimes all it takes to change a life is a little spark.

Such is the case of John Dolan, a 43-year-old former homeless man. According to the Huffington Post, Dolan dealt with poverty, drug addiction and homelessness for a majority of his life until he was give a dog.

When Dolan met the dog, George, for the first time, he decided to turn his life around. After all, George was all he had in the world and gave his life a sense of purpose.

Dolan began selling sketches on the street to provide for himself and George. He was barely surviving until an art gallery owner noticed him and his work last September.

Fast forward to July, and Dolan is a success story. He’s about to host his second art show. His sketches now cost between $5,000 and $6,800. And he credits all the change to George.

“I feel like he’s a guardian angel.” Dolan told the Guardian. “If it hadn’t been for him I’d have never picked up my pen.”