Hank was only 8 months old when a good Samaritan found him in the woods, but he didn’t look like a puppy at all. Instead of running through the forest with the excitement of youth, the solitary dog lay perfectly still on an abandoned litter, seemingly oblivious to the approaching stranger.
Surrounded by his old toys and a sealed bag of dog food, which he couldn’t open, his face expressed a desperate need for help.
The Good Samaritan called the local animal shelter, which immediately dispatched staff to the scene to rescue Hank. They were concerned that he would become aggressive during the rescue, as he was in survival mode, but were pleasantly surprised to find that he behaved differently.
“He was nothing but love from the moment they got him,” said Rosa Fond, founder of Humans and Animals United. “Everyone says he’s the sweetest dog”.
After saving him, shelter staff took Hank to the vet, where they discovered he was suffering from a broken leg. According to doctors, Hank had received this injury more than two weeks before he was rescued.
That’s why he never moved from his bed in the woods, they said. It was just too painful.
Hank’s injury required major surgery, so the shelter sought help from Humans and Animals United.
Fond immediately agreed to take him in and give him the medical intervention he desperately needed.
She took the pup to a local veterinary hospital, where he is currently staying. Hank is due to undergo life-changing surgery soon, but he needs to put on some weight first. In the meantime, he appreciates the love and hugs he receives daily from the veterinary staff.
Adoption applications for Hank have poured in since Humans and Animals United posted a message about him on its Facebook page, but Mr Fond says no one has been selected yet.
“He’s going to have a little bit of a way to go before he’s fully adoptable,” Fond said. “But he’s safe now and he’ll never, ever be hurt again.”
