When Florida police officers arrived to gather the abandoned dog off a highway, they could hardly tell if the animal was even alive.
As they got closer the officers discovered the terrified animal was barely alive. The white dog had been wandering the Everglades when in March a couple spotted it near the boat ramps just off of U.S. Highway 27. Knowing the dog wouldn’t last long if left alone in the crocodile-filled marsh, they sought help. Take a look below.
The couple got in touch with the Broward County Sheriff’s Department whose deputies came to the rescue. But when they saw the dog they didn’t know if they had found him in time.
As the officers approached, the poor creature looked completely lifeless as it laid there curled up tightly in a ball. It appeared the dog was suffering from shock and exhaustion. Still, the officers took their time approaching the dog and assessing the situation.
They wanted to slowly gain the animal’s trust. Their tactic worked, and soon the animal was lifting its head and observing the officers that had awoken it with their flashlights.
Although still in low spirits, the dog allowed the officers to get close enough to give him some food. That’s when they noticed the true extent of the animal’s injuries.
Not only was the dog suffering from a severe case of mange, he was bleeding from the face. A veterinarian later identifies the dog as having a staph infection on his skin, an ear infection and serious problems with both eyes in which he would need surgery.
In the heartwarming rescue video below, one person on the scene can be heard talking to the wary dog as officers tried to encourage it to walk to the car. “Your life is going to be so much better now. Come on. You can make it.”
With encouragement and some heavy lifting to help the dog walk, the officers managed to load the dog into their vehicle. And the next morning, he was picked up by Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue in Delray Beach and given the name Powder.
The shelter is a haven for homeless cats and dogs in Florida’s Palm Beach and Broward Counties. Established by interior designer Sandra Dezelan, who quit her job in order to focus on rescuing animals ranging from the treatment and care of strays before putting them up for adoption.
The team at the shelter sent Powder to an animal eye surgeon for evaluation. That’s when they discovered that Powder’s sight was so bad he could only see shadows! He would need surgery on both eyes once his mange and other infections were treated, so they got him started on the meds he would need.
Of course, the medical treatment that Powder needed was expensive, he had around 500 pus-filled nodules covering his body so the rescue center campaigned for donations. On their Facebook page, Powder became an icon of hope. After a few weeks, he was well enough to go in for his much-needed eye surgery.
Thanks to Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Rescue loving care, Powder look like a completely different dog than the one found suffering in the Everglades. His skin is now cleared up, his fur grew back and thanks to his surgery he now is able to see clearly.
Powder also gained 15 pounds and he was finally looking like a healthy American Bulldog. Coming out of his shell a bit, he also enjoyed socializing with other dogs at the shelter.
Still, Powder had some obstacles to overcome before Dezelan could find him a loving forever home.“He NEEDS human socialization and once ready he will be out to adoption,” she wrote on the animal rescue’s Facebook page. She had a trainer start working with Powder to build up the dog’s confidence.
In July, Powder officially went up for adoption. In the announcement on Facebook, Dezelan described him as “the star” of the rescue center. She also detailed the dog’s incredible recovery from the brink of death. “Powder was physically a MESS,” she wrote. “But, with surgeries, today’s modern medicines, around the clock care and love you can see the end result.”
Watch the entire video below.
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