The story of Augustus, the Alabama stray dog who was found wandering the streets, has shocked thousands after his photo went viral. The sorry doggo was barely recognizable, covered in hard scales and a painful, dry crust.
No one exactly knew what led Augustus to be in such a horrible state, but it was clear that this pooch was neglected by his community, which showed no empathy towards his condition.
He was all alone in this world, sentenced to live a limited life with severe mange, until one day, this sick dog’s luck turned upside down.
Wandering The Streets In Alabama And Living A Brutal Life
To say that he had lived a brutal life is probably the mellow version of the story. When Augustus was first found on the streets of Lauderdale County, Alabama, his fur was in such a catastrophic condition that it was practically impossible to predict what breed he was.
It was covered in a dry crust, with mange so bad his skin basically looked like scales. The inch-thick crust was all over his body, including his head and his neck.
Unfortunately, his mange wasn’t the only problem. Augustus also suffered from an ear infection and he was extremely malnourished and weak. The lack of humane conditions was so evident on this dog that his body was practically screaming: Help!
HASRA To The Rescue
When Debbie Rappuhn, the president of HASRA (Heart of Alabama Save Rescue Adopt), found out about this Alabama doggo, she decided to act as fast as possible!
He was picked up from Lauderdale County, Alabama by the HASRA team who lured him into a crate filled with food. In the words of his rescuers, he looked that day like a “prehistoric creature” because his condition was so bad and he looked nothing like his real self.
He was immediately transferred to an emergency veterinarian who reported that this was one of the worst mange cases he had ever dealt with.
It took him several days to peel the thick layer of mange off this poor dog, but he finally did it. After so long, Augustus was finally ready to start his recovery process, and he was in the perfect place for doing so!
Sparkle Of Affection Emerged Under The Inch-Thick Crust
It looked that with every new day, Augustus was getting a little more comfy with his saviors. Despite the severity of his condition, he was displaying a little bit of affection towards them, as if he was saying: “Thank you for saving me!”
He still wasn’t able to go out, though, as the staff feared that the sun would burn his sensitive skin. He was receiving daily baths alongside antibiotics on a daily basis, as well as coconut oil for his sore skin.
But, little by little, Augustus was getting back to his old self, starting to grow fur that revealed his true Border Collie identity! That’s right! Underneath that inch-thick layer of crust, there was a beautiful black-and-white Border Collie standing!
When the HASRA team finally established that he was healed enough to go out and start acting all doggo – he surprised everyone! The level of enthusiasm Augustus had was unbelievable! He was so full of life, acting like a real, goofy Collie!
That was a clear sign that he was ready to meet his furever parents, and Debbie didn’t want to wait any longer!
Struggling To A Furever Home
Offers started pouring in, but Debbie knew what she was looking for! She wanted a safe, forever home for Augustus, carefully screening potential parents and interviewing them before they even got the chance to take Augustus for a trial.
When the pawfect family finally showed up, Debbie was more than happy to hand Augustus over.
A family of five – mom, dad, three sisters, and a brother took him home, but unfortunately, after a short period of time, the children developed an allergic reaction to their new family member and needed to get him back to the facility.
Jordan, Gus, And Layla – The Pawfect Trio
That’s when Jordan Crist, of Montgomery, Alabama, showed up! Before she could even see Augustus, she called the facility multiple times. And, when she finally had the chance to speak with Debbie about this beautiful doggo, she burst into tears.
She was absolutely sure that her home would be the right fit for him, and even more so, she had another dog, Layla, and she felt that Augustus would get along with her pawfectly!
She wasn’t wrong, as when Augustus finally arrived in his new home – his old anxieties faded away and he was nothing but a sweet, happy, and playful Collie enjoying his life with Jordan and Layla!
After all this time, he was finally where he was supposed to be – in a loving home, surrounded by the ones who truly love him!
