The cruelty some inflict upon animals is truly heartbreaking, but the resilience of these creatures is often astounding. A New York animal shelter, Animal Haven, recently witnessed this firsthand with the remarkable recovery of a severely emaciated dog named Timmy.
Found abandoned under the Manhattan Bridge by two kind women, Timmy’s condition was so dire that staff at the shelter were unsure if he would survive.
If you don’t want to read the full story,
Jump to Watch Video
The women who discovered Timmy had wrapped him in blankets, a testament to the compassion that still exists. Upon arrival at Animal Haven, the reality of Timmy’s condition hit hard. “So we brought him inside,” Nicole Chan, director of marketing and communications with Animal Haven, told The Dodo.
“We put him first on the floor. And we just took a look at it and you can tell that everyone was very sad.” Despite his skeletal frame, Timmy showed a flicker of spirit, wandering slightly, a sign of hope that he wouldn’t give up.
Timmy was immediately rushed to an emergency vet, where the grim diagnosis was confirmed. Beyond emaciation, “the veterinarians determined that some of the numerous wounds on his skin strongly indicated mistreatment – consistent with cigarette burns,” Animal Haven wrote on Facebook.
Timmy was also diagnosed with pneumonia. The road to recovery would be long, but Timmy had an army of support behind him. Veterinarians, shelter staff who visited him daily, and generous donors all contributed to his care.
After 36 days in the hospital, Timmy was finally discharged. Though his journey was far from over, this was a monumental step. Returning to Animal Haven, he was met with open arms. Soon after, a woman named Alison stepped forward to foster Timmy.
“Alison came out of the woods,” Nicole said. “We were just like, ‘we hope this is foster fail’!” It didn’t take long for Timmy and Alison to form an unbreakable bond. “Immediately, he won’t leave my side,” Alison said. “Anytime I sat on the couch, he would jump on the couch and be right next to me.” Timmy’s health improved rapidly, but more importantly, he began to heal emotionally. He rediscovered his joy and zest for life.
And then, the moment everyone hoped for arrived. Timmy’s foster stay officially became a “foster fail.” “After three weeks of getting it, I couldn’t imagine at that point getting it back to its place and being adopted by someone else,” Alison said. “It’s like, ‘Well, that makes sense. This works.’”
On his adoption day, Alison brought Timmy back to Animal Haven, where the staff celebrated his incredible transformation. They were overjoyed and immensely proud of how far he had come.
Animal Haven expressed their gratitude to everyone who played a role in Timmy’s rescue and recovery. “Working in Animal Rescue is often difficult, but it is unimaginably rewarding,” they wrote on Facebook. “When animals like Timmy come through our doors, it can make you lose faith in the world. But happy endings like this make everything worthwhile.”
Watch the video below:
Read more Dogs News.