Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
Learn More

Puppies Were So Sick They Lost Their Fur, But Their Story Didn’t End There

By: Julie Hunt
Julie Hunt is an avid dog lover and writer for iHeartDogs.com, and has a background as a veterinary technician. She rescued a beautiful former bait dog named Rory.Read more
| September 13, 2024

Kristina Rinaldi, the executive director of Detroit Dog Rescue (DDR), was taken aback when she arrived to pick up six puppies from animal control. The puppies, who had been discovered in an abandoned house in Detroit, Michigan, were in a dire state. Their tiny bodies were covered in severe blisters, their skin was pink and hairless, and they were burning up with fever. The cause of their distress was a severe case of mange, a skin condition that had caused them to lose all their fur.

Detroit Dog Rescue/Facebook

“I’ve seen a lot of cases in my time as a dog rescuer, but this was the worst I’ve ever seen,” Rinaldi told The Dodo, reflecting on the gravity of the situation. Despite their critical condition, she acted quickly, rushing the puppies to the veterinarian, hoping they could be saved. Sadly, two of the puppies didn’t make it and passed away on the way to the clinic.

Detroit Dog Rescue/Facebook

The remaining four pups were still fighting for their lives. “We’re fighting an uphill battle,” the vet told Rinaldi, expressing the seriousness of their condition. However, the team was determined to give the surviving puppies a fighting chance.

Over the next 12 weeks, the puppies received intensive medical care. They were bathed in medicated baths, given antibiotics to combat their infections, and surrounded by warmth and love from the veterinary staff. Slowly, they began to recover. Their skin started healing, and they began to grow back their fur. The puppies showed remarkable resilience, and soon, they were wagging their little tails and playing like the joyful pups they were meant to be.

Detroit Dog Rescue/Facebook

Eventually, their condition improved so much that they were ready for adoption. Each one of them found a devoted forever home where they could live the rest of their lives surrounded by love and care.

She Could Barely Walk or Breathe When Rescuers Found Her
She Could Barely Walk or Breathe When Rescuers Found Her

Rescuers swooped in, but when they got the pup into their care, she had lost the use of her back legs, was struggling to breathe, and weighed just around 20 pounds.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Kristina Rinaldi, the team at Detroit Dog Rescue, and the veterinary staff, these puppies were given a second chance. Their journey from an abandoned house in Detroit to the loving arms of their new families is a testament to the power of compassion and the incredible resilience of these brave little dogs.

Please ‘SHARE’ to pass on this story to a friend or family member

Click ‘SHARE’ below to pass this along to a friend or family member

Loading Checkout...

Looks like your ad blocker is on.

×

We rely on ads to keep creating quality content for you to enjoy for free.

Please support our site by disabling your ad blocker.

Continue without supporting us

Choose your Ad Blocker

  • Adblock Plus
  • Adblock
  • Adguard
  • Ad Remover
  • Brave
  • Ghostery
  • uBlock Origin
  • uBlock
  • UltraBlock
  • Other
  1. In the extension bar, click the AdBlock Plus icon
  2. Click the large blue toggle for this website
  3. Click refresh
  1. In the extension bar, click the AdBlock icon
  2. Under "Pause on this site" click "Always"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Adguard icon
  2. Click on the large green toggle for this website
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Ad Remover icon
  2. Click "Disable on This Website"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the orange lion icon
  2. Click the toggle on the top right, shifting from "Up" to "Down"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Ghostery icon
  2. Click the "Anti-Tracking" shield so it says "Off"
  3. Click the "Ad-Blocking" stop sign so it says "Off"
  4. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the uBlock Origin icon
  2. Click on the big, blue power button
  3. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the uBlock icon
  2. Click on the big, blue power button
  3. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the UltraBlock icon
  2. Check the "Disable UltraBlock" checkbox
  1. Please disable your Ad Blocker
  2. Disable any DNS blocking tools such as AdGuardDNS or NextDNS

If the prompt is still appearing, please disable any tools or services you are using that block internet ads (e.g. DNS Servers).

United StatesClose
Flag of United States
Powered by
duty and tax information for United States