Every dog wants a home where they can feel safe and loved, yet sadly, not all are lucky enough to have this luxury.
Instead, dusty street corners and distant, abandoned places are all some dogs know. And, for things to be worse, they end up there just because their owners decide not to want them anymore.
Zuko, the Pittie, is exhibit A.
When his family left him high and dry, this poor boi wandered the streets until he stumbled upon a random porch, hoping to find the help he needed so badly.
He Was Unable To Move At All
The kind team of Hope For Paws rescuers from Los Angeles, California, immediately responded to a call about Zuko. Upon arriving at the scene, the volunteers Katie and Idan noticed something wrong with this sturdy boi.
Unlike other stray or abandoned dogs that usually have some sort of reaction to strangers, Zuko was pretty much composed.
Then, they discovered why!
This sweet dog wasn’t able to move – at all because his hind legs were severely deformed.
I can’t imagine the amount of pain and stress Zuko felt for the last few months as he tried to find a place to hide. But, as Katie fed him with a cheeseburger, he gave her the friendliest, sweetest looks.
He didn’t let his past ruin the fact that he, indeed, was such a good boi.
Katie then tried leaving him pieces of cheeseburger a little further to see if Zuko was able to move, but he just kept lying there motionless.
The very next moment, she took this big dog in her arms and carried him to a crate. It was as if Zuko somehow knew that he was about to go to a better life, as he didn’t budge – at all.
Zuko Can Finally Walk Again
The rescuers were saddened when they learned that Zuko’s condition couldn’t be improved with surgery. According to vets, his leg deformity was permanent, and he had to learn to live with it.
But, even in those kinds of situations, there is a glimmer of hope, and Zuko was about to find it!
Thanks to Chad Marquis, the Prosthetist/Orthotist, Zuko got a special, custom prosthesis to protect his knees and joints from injury, and it turned out to be a miracle!
Thanks to it, this sweet, abandoned boi was able to stand on his legs and start walking in no time.
He was a little reluctant to move at first, as being able to walk again was a new feeling for Zuko. But then, he just couldn’t stop! He finally embraced life with all of his paws and learned that it is, indeed, amazing!
The best news was that it didn’t take long for some nice hoomans to notice how truly pawesome he was!
Thanks to The Little Red Dog, a dog rescue from Laguna Hills, California, Zuko found a forever home with Alexandria and Eric, and he couldn’t be happier!
After all the storms and hardships in his life, he’s now finally in the place he dreamed of this entire time. From now on, Zuko will no longer have to worry about finding a home because he already has one that is just perfect for him!