It was hard for passersby to make out exactly what this frightening looking creature was prowling a California orchard looking for any scraps it could find.
The skeletal figure which limped as it walked, hunched over with patches of fur missing and then a huge black fluffy mane around its head and neck was reminiscent of a werewolf! It was no surprise that nobody dared to go near it.
The skin peeking through its patchy fur was scaly and its tail was pointy and shriveled like something off the pages of a horror story.
Then one day a woman was passing by the orchard and was so shocked by what she saw she snapped a picture and posted it on Facebook with a plea for help.
Local animal lover and dog rescuer Megan Bowe, founder of Bowe’s Adoptable Rescue Pups, saw the post and immediately went out to find this poor creature.
“I was about ready to cry when I saw how bad off he was. He was really on his last legs. He was depressed and could barely even stand up,” she told The Dodo.
This creature scaring everyone away was no monster but a stray German shepherd, close to death.
Megan found him and started calling him King. She managed to get him into her car and straight to the vets. She was shocked at how easy it was to get him away considering how vulnerable he was. King must have known this was his animal angel come to rescue him.
The vet discovered King had a broken pelvis and a broken tail. He appeared to be well into his years at first glance, but he actually was just a 12-month-old pup.
“My vet thinks he got hit by a car, and that would explain how his tail was so messed up, too,” Megan explained. “That injury happened months ago, because by the time I got him it had already started to heal incorrectly. And with such a damaged pelvis, he wasn’t able to get around very far on his own to look for food so he was extremely skinny and dehydrated.”
King was also suffering with Mange and had to be quarantined to prevent the spread to her other rescue pets. Before his broken bones could be dealt with he had to get physically stronger for surgery so was put on a special diet.
Throughout his ordeal King has remained calm and has shown nothing but love for those that are bringing him back to life.
“He’s a super loving dog. If I sit down, he has his face right next to mine and leans in as if he’s giving me a hug. He has been so calm and relaxed through everything,” says Megan.
It took around six weeks of nonstop feedings, medicine and dedicated care around the clock before King’s skin condition improved and he was ready for surgery on his hip and tail.
“While King isn’t out of the woods just yet, he is already doing so much better – and already looks entirely different from the ‘scary’ creature people thought he was.”
This fur baby is enjoying some unconditional love at the shelter in Madera, California and Megan is working hard to make sure that when he is ready to be adopted he goes to just the right home.
“He is happier than ever now. It’s hard to think that all those cars passed him by and never stopped. No one wanted to bring him home or help him because he looked so bad … But all it took was one person.”
Thank goodness for our animal heroes out there. We hope King finds a palace fit for a king soon! Please share to pay tribute to all those people that make so many sacrifices and work tirelessly to help the animals that are suffering.
