Original Sighting
Dogs do so much for us. They not only provide us with constant love and affection when we need it, they are always by our side during the good times and the bad. In addition to always being there for us, these animals have proven time and time again that they are real heroes. After everything that animals do for us, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’re willing to do a lot for these cuddly creatures ourselves.
But not everyone feels that way. Some pet owners abuse and outright abandon their animals. That’s exactly what happened to the dog you’re about to meet in the following slides. Click through to learn more about his amazing survival story.
Back in March 2016, a couple spotted a lone dog wandering in the Everglades near the boat ramps on Highway 27.
Authorities Arrive
Fearing that the pup was a stray and wouldn’t survive long near the alligator-infested waters, they decided to report the dog to the local authorities in an effort to get it some help.
After trying to figure out the proper authorities to call, the couple eventually got in contact with the Broward County Sheriff’s Department. That turned out to be the right call!
Not in Good Shape
When the deputies arrived, they went to go check on the dog and found that it was just barely alive. They had no idea they arrived just in time.
As it turned out, the poor dog looked awful as it laid almost completely lifeless there in a curled position. It was likely very shocked and exhausted.
Getting Closer
Even still, the officers still took their time approaching the dog and assessed the situation, wanting to gain the trust of the dog first.
Their plan of approaching slowly worked, as the dog allowed them to get close without freaking out. Soon, the dog was looking up at the humans who woke it up with their flashlights.
Sudden Realization
And although the dog was still almost completely out of it, it let them get close enough to let them give it some food.
It wasn’t until they got closer to the dog that they realized the extent of its injuries were much worse than what they initially thought.
More Injuries
They realized that the dog was not only suffering from a serious case of mange, but it was also bleeding from wounds in its face.
In fact, a vet would later reveal even more about the extent of the injuries faced by this pooch. The vet said that the dog had a staph infection and a serious problem with both of its eyes.
Encouraging
The doctors figured out pretty quickly that the dog would likely need serious surgery in order to help it recover from its injuries.
While police were the ones helping the dog, they were not the only ones on the scene. A crowd of a few people materialized and were showing their support for the dog.
On the Way to Recovery
In fact, one person could even be heard encouraging the dog to walk to the police car saying “your life will be so much better now.”
Finally, after some encouraging words from bystanders and some heavy lifting by the police officers, the dog was loaded in the car.
The Shelter
After spending the night with the officers, he was picked up the following morning by an animal rescue and was given a name by them as well: Powder.
This shelter that Powder was taken to is a haven for homeless and stray cats and dogs in the area.
More Surgery Information
The shelter was established by interior designer Sandra Dezelan, who actually quit her job to focus solely on helping animals and even arranges to get their healthcare taken care of before putting them up for adoption.
So the new shelter decided to send the animal to a specialist to see what type of help or surgery the dog needed. As it turned out, the dog’s sight was so bad it could only see shadows and thus, would need surgery on both eyes.
Long Road to Recovery
He also needed some medication for the other issues he was facing.
After all the illnesses and health issues Powder faced, everyone helping him knew that the road to recovery was going to be fairly long. He had 500+ puss-filled nodules all over his body on top of the infections and problems we already talked about.
But there was no doubt he was in the possession of those best suited to help him.