Found hungry, weak, and abandoned in a parking lot, a Kentucky dog finally found a reason to keep living following life-saving interventions by a rescue.
January 29 remains a life-changing day for rescue dog, Ethan who survived a close call with death. The canine, now recuperating, is eager to start a new chapter in his life, which hopefully would involve a cozy crib and a family.
On that fateful day, a patron dropping off donations at the Kentucky Humane Society discovered the sickly-looking dog at the parking lot of the property. The good stranger alerted the staff at the rescue, who set out to work immediately.
They rushed the emaciated animal to the veterinary services department of the rescue to have an idea of his prognosis. While administering life-saving measures on the animals, they realized he was so weak, and could hardly hold his head up.
The canine weighed only 38 pounds, against the 80 pounds average for a dog that size. In a blog post, KHS referred to the rescued canine as the thinnest dog they had ever seen. Describing the state of the animal, the rescue shared:
“The outline of every bone can be seen from his dehydrated skin and his muscle loss is extreme. His body tried to find any fuel to survive.”
KHS also confirmed that the animal, which they decided to call Ethan, reeked of feces and urine at the time of his rescue. His luck changed upon arriving at the rescue. They made sure to administer adequate food, fluid and medications to the animal while making warm blankets available.
Twenty-four hours after ts rescue, Ethan turned for the worse, developing breathing difficulties and neurological dysfunctions like twitching. This prompted the veterinary technician to rush him to an emergency clinic.
The animal may have spent weeks locked in a crate without food,
The dog remained in critical but stable condition for several hours. After spending a day at the hospital, Ethan regained more strength and vibrance. His twitching reduced drastically, and the dog developed a healthy appetite for food and drink. Progress!
Ethan’s continuous tail-wagging, as well as an immense decrease in the frequency of leg-paddling and head-bobbing, were also good signs. The staff of KHS believed the canine’s recovery was a miracle.
Based on the rescue’s last update, the animal now had a 50% chance of survival, which was more than anyone could have hoped for when he first arrived.
KHS acknowledged everyone who contributed to the dog’s recovery through cash donations or prayers, even as they continued their quest to determine Ethan’s background and history.
The rescue believes the animal may have spent weeks locked in a crate without food, or possibly, his owner left and could not make it back as expected.
Although mere speculations, those theories were less heart-wrenching than imagining the animal being starved and abandoned on purpose.
KHS is yet to determine how Ethan ended up in that condition or abandoned in their property. They implore anyone with useful leads on Ethan’s case to contact the Louisville Metro Animal Services on their public lines.