His face was swollen and bloody from abuse, he was starving, tied up and completely alone.
This breaks my heart. Some people should never be allowed near animals!
Dog Charlie was tied to a pile of trash, surrounded by waste and filled with pain. He had no choice but to sit and wait until someone found him.
When two kind souls finally caught sight of Charlie, they rushed him to Philadelphia Animal Hospital. When the vets examined him they discovered something they’d never seen before.
“We lifted up his jowls, and the inside of his cheeks and lip were entirely infested with maggots,” explains Adria Rebbecchi, director of communications for the animal hospital, to The Dodo.
When they discovered how serious the situation was, they knew they didn’t have any time to waste. The animal hospital’s owner decided to cover the cost of any treatment Charlie needed.
The vets immediately gave Charlie a sedative and took him to the operating room. But because the tissue in his face was so damaged, they were forced to remove large parts of it. Charlie had weekly surgery so his lip could heal and start growing back.
Carlie’s injuries made it difficult for him to eat, but the vets fed him several small meals a day so that he could slowly regain his strength.
Slowly but surely he became fit and strong again – and despite all the pain he’d endured, he had a lot of love to give.
“He let the people who found him walk right up to him and pick him up, so we assumed he was a sweet one. Since then, he was always happy to be with people and won’t stop kissing and trying to play. Given his condition, he was very comfortable around people,” Adria says.
Natalie Barber soon became one of Charlie’s favorites at the hospital. She works for City of Elderly Love (COEL), and specializes in the care of elderly animals. When it was time to find a new foster mom for Charlie, Natalie didn’t hesitate.
“The family has another dog and he’s loving having company. He’s also quite taken with his foster mom’s son, Lucas,” Adria says.
Because Charlie was micro-chipped, there is now an investigation into who Charlie’s previous owner was and how he ended up so badly treated.
Luckily, Charlie is now doing well. But things like this should never happen! Like and share this story to praise Charlie and the people who saved him. <3
Published by The Animal Bible. Please like.
