Dog Flinches in Pain at Slightest Touch from Rescuers, But Look How Far He's Come
Warning: This story contains images that may be disturbing to some viewers.
As the animal ambulance came to a stop on the side of the road in India, a dark mound lie waiting, curled into a tight ball, ready to die.
The creature was so emaciated and traumatized, he scarcely looked like a dog.
Welfare workers from Animal Aid Unlimited quickly tossed a large net over the dog and whisked him away in the ambulance, hoping they were not too late.
They named the dog Pushkar, the Hindi word for “Lotus.” The dog was covered in mange, had lost all of his fur and was bleeding from the sores on his skin.
As Pushkar sat motionless at the shelter, he seemed numb to everything happening around him. Amrita, one of the caretakers, tried to pet the dog and feed him, but Pushkar was too despondent to register that she was there.
“He was so exhausted and inward on the first day,” Animal Aid wrote on their website.
When Amrita tossed some food his way, Pushkar made no attempt to eat.
Rescue workers knew the dog was ready to die but hoped their efforts would spark some shred of hope in the dog’s spirit that would cause him to try and fight to survive.
“It was obvious though that he hadn’t been shown love or kindness in a very long time,” Pushkar’s team wrote. “He painfully flinched even before Amrita had even touched his forehead.”
Amrita’s persistence slowly began to pay off — Pushkar lifted his aching head and took a few small bites of food. The rescue team immediately began treating him for dehydration and started treating his worst skin wounds.
It seemed that Pushkar did have a bit of fight left in him after all.
Within ten days, Pushkar showed remarkable improvement. His skin was able to heal and his light colored coat began to grow back.
His eyes, once distant and dim, became shiny and engaged, as he soaked up the human love around him.
Pushkar spent two months recovering from his ordeal, but by the end, he truly was like a whole new dog.
He was up for snuggles, liked affection and even let his rescuers kiss his little head.
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