“Diseased” Dog Chained Outside For 10 Days Before Finally Being Rescued

In Bulgaria, an innocent puppy was left all alone on a chain to die. But two years later, he is comfortably settled into his forever home!

Two years ago, the Rudozem Street Dog Rescue (RSDR) received a call from a concerned woman who reported that a puppy had been tethered to a trailer for 10 days straight. Of course, they jumped into action, and rescue co-founder Tony Rowles arrived on the scene.

Duke 1 — Image Source: Rudozem Street Dog Rescue

“When we arrived, the poor little guy was covered in flies, but within a minute or two, he was responding to me, licking my hand as I went to stroke him and he was soon wagging his tail,” Rowles explained on the rescue’s blog.

Watch this video of the rescue:

Apparently, the puppy had only survived on bread and water given to him by pitying passers-by.

The pup’s name was Duke, and his owners had left him outside because, they claimed, he had a contagious disease.

Rescuers noticed that Duke’s front legs were bowed. At first they didn’t know if it was due to malnutrition or a birth defect. But X-rays showed the tragic truth.

Duke 2 — Image Source: Rudozem Street Dog Rescue

“It seemed that his legs, and in particular his feet, had been deliberately smashed – bones and ligaments have all been broken,” reads the RSDR blog.

The pup had also come down with a cough from being tied to a heavy chain, and was very malnourished. However, Duke did not have a “contagious disease”- his only ailments had been inflicted by cruel, heartless humans.

He was shy at first, but despite having endured trauma, this sweet boy quickly warmed up to the people who were caring for him. They were determined to help him heal, and fix his legs so they’d be normal again.

Duke 3 — Image Source: Rudozem Street Dog Rescue

After surgery, lots of treatments, time to heal, and love, Duke was back on his–well–feet! It was finally time for him to find his forever home.

Duke 5 — Image Source: Rudozem Street Dog Rescue

A woman named Diana, who lives in England, heard about Duke and desperately wanted to adopt him. After an extensive screening process, the RSDR knew that she would make a perfect dog-mom for the pup!

According to the blog, she said:

When I saw Duke on the RSDR website, my heart went out to him. I wondered whether he would have issues with his legs and paws in the future and if anyone else would want to adopt him when there were so many healthy dogs and puppies on the website. I knew I could give him a loving and comfortable home and deal with any health issues so I registered my interest. I’m very happy that he recovered so well in Bulgaria and his future looks much better and brighter health-wise. All the recent photos are wonderful and he looks such a happy and friendly boy – such a difference from the frightened, timid dog Tony rescued.

Duke 6 — Image Source: Rudozem Street Dog Rescue

It’s been two years since Duke’s adoption, and followers of the RSDR wanted an update on how he’s doing! Duke is a happy, healthy boy who is enjoying a comfortable life in his forever home. Take a look–the pictures say it all!