3-Month-Old Poisoned Puppy Found in a Ditch, Wrapped in Blood-Soaked Blanket
Pictures of suffering puppies and hurting dogs are never easy to look at. Our hearts go out to the poor critters, and our stomachs turn at the thought of the human neglect or outright cruelty that leaves these animals in such horrible shape.
But thankfully, though many stories start in this kind of dark desperation, they end in hope, love, joy, and recovery. This is the story of a very sick little puppy who was found by some caring people and has since beaten all the odds.
Ricardo D’Amico was riding his bike along a highway on Sunday in Houston, Texas. He was probably prepared for all sorts of circumstances — aggressive drivers, poor road conditions, and the other normal things cyclists encounter on the daily.
What he was not expecting, though, was a bleeding puppy that had been discarded like trash. The black and white puppy was next to Highway 290, cringing against the sodden comforter, in clear pain.
Fortunately, D’Amico was friends with LaChrystal Ricke, who runs a rescue known as Reggie’s Friends. She was out shopping when she got the harrowing call from D’Amico, and she rushed to the scene.
They dubbed the dog “Baby Ric” in honor of his rescuer, and the name stuck. At first they thought that perhaps Baby Ric had been tossed from a car because of the bad shape he was in.
The blanket was bloody and the puppy was bleeding, exhibiting an amount of blood that would line up with being thrown from a moving vehicle — and yet, oddly enough, there weren’t many cuts or wounds apparent on his body.
But once they got the dog to the vet’s, they found that the truth was much more sinister. A post on Reggie’s Friends outlined how difficult this discovery was: “Then the blood started pouring out of little Ric’s mouth.”
While tests were being run on the black-and-white furball, he was bleeding profusely. They soon discovered that the puppy had somehow gotten into some rat poison, and extremely high levels of the toxin were coursing through his small frame.
Of course, the rat poison thinned his blood so it wouldn’t clot, and so he just kept bleeding. There was little they could do to stop his fading, and even though he was giving kisses, nobody seemed to have much hope that he’d pull through.
After much hard work on the part of his rescuer and the tireless vets and veterinary staff, and after both blood and plasma transfusions, there was hope.
They weren’t out of the woods yet — only time would tell — but Baby Ric had attempted to eat, his white and red blood cell counts were up, and he was still kicking.
Two days after he was found dying on the side of the road, the pup was given the approval to go home. Thanks to a team of caring people and lots of generous donors, this pup got a second chance at life.
It’s difficult to imagine the point a person must be at to abandon such a sick, helpless puppy in a ditch, wrapped in a comforter that wasn’t very comforting. But even though the situation did not look good, Baby Ric has proven his fighting spirit.
We hope someone comes along who deserves this bundle of love and can make up for all he’s suffered at the hands of careless humans. LaChrystal Ricke and Reggie’s Friends started the trend, pulling him back from the brink of death.
And all the publicity is good for the pup, who is seeking a home, as well as the rescue that deserves recognition for its devotion to the cause. All the best, little pup!
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