At 16 years old, Link, a senior dog, found himself abandoned at a shelter, bewildered and heartbroken. The little dog, who had spent his entire life with one family, couldn’t understand why he was left behind and would cry for hours in confusion.
Enter Carly, who discovered Link through a photo shared by her friend Angel. Despite Link’s advanced age and health issues, Carly felt an immediate bond with him and knew she had to give him the loving home he deserved. Upon meeting him at the shelter, their connection was undeniable, with Link calming down as soon as he heard Carly’s voice and felt her soothing touch.
Without hesitation, Carly made the decision to adopt Link, giving him the chance for a new beginning in a forever home filled with love and care.
Image/Story Source Credit: GeoBeats Animals via YouTube Video
After Carly brought Link home, she observed how her own dog, Toad, was ecstatic to meet his new friend. In the initial days, Toad was particularly attentive to Link’s health concerns, staying by his side constantly. Link, troubled by skin problems, would often whine and itch. Recognizing Link’s distress, Toad assumed the role of his emotional support, a role he continues to fulfill to this day.
Image/Story Source Credit: GeoBeats Animals via YouTube Video
After two years with Carly, Link has transformed from a shy, almost furless dog into a vibrant, furry companion. Now approximately 18 years old, Link has regrown a significant amount of fur and appears entirely different. Toad, the cuddly 80-pound dog, adores his tiny 7-pound brother, and they are often found snuggled together on the couch.
Carly frequently hears comments from onlookers about the unique duo during their walks. Despite his advanced age, Link is an energetic and demanding dog, always ready to bark, explore, and meet new people.
Link’s health has seen considerable improvement under Carly’s care. Although he has a cataract in one eye that affects his vision, Carly has ensured that he receives all necessary treatments for his allergies and skin issues, allowing him to enjoy a much more comfortable and happy life.
Carly and Toad consider themselves fortunate to have Link in their lives and are thankful for the chance to care for him and shower him with love in his final years. While I can’t play videos, I can imagine the heartwarming scenes of Link’s remarkable transformation and his endearing bond with Toad. This story serves as a beautiful reminder that dogs of all ages are worthy of a forever home and the unconditional love they bring to our lives.
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Emaciated Dog Now ‘Picture of Health’ After Foster Carer Helps Him Recover
It may be hard to watch this viral video that shows the harsh reality of animal neglect. Harold was skin and bone when he was found wandering the streets in North Oshawa in Ontario, Canada. But now is thriving and just like any other puppy—thanks to his foster carer.
Kayleigh McGovern, a volunteer and team member at Oshawa Animal Services, decided to look after the emaciated dog who was too weak to even walk back in July. She documented his progress and shared a slideshow of images on her TikTok page.
Kathy Pittman-Feltham, the shelter manager told Newsweek: “Harold quickly captured all of our hearts and we were rooting for him to get healthy and find his forever home.”
In the viral video that has 791,800 views, @kayleigh_mcgovern added on-screen text to explain each image. She stated he spent the first three days in bed and he didn’t have the strength to empty his bladder.
She wrote: “We shared many cuddles, watched lots of shows, and most importantly he got lots of rest.”
One image shows Harold’s skeletal body as the on-screen text explains: “This picture is still so jarring to look at. He was examined at the vet for possible causes of his emaciation. The vets concluded the only thing wrong with him was that he was essentially starving to death.”
After a few days of tender love and care, Harold started to feel stronger and became playful. Now four months on, he is just like any other puppy.
Pittman-Feltham told Newsweek: “Kayleigh helped nurse him back to health and he was then adopted by a member of the community who is a second-time adopter from us.
“He is doing phenomenal and is the perfect picture of health.”
Harold’s remarkable transformation has touched the hearts of thousands of TikTok users. But sadly, his situation wasn’t a rare case.
Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.
Pittman-Feltham told Newsweek: “We see many sad cases come through our doors and the team is always excited to be a part of the next chapter in their story as most times we don’t have any information on their past.
“We are hoping Harold’s story shines a light on the many cases across the rescue world that need our help.
“Fostering saves lives and Harold is a perfect example of that!“
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