Most people would have taken one look at the trembling, mangy frame of the dog in the street and figured he was a goner. But not the real life heroes at Animal Aid Unlimited. The staff at the shelter in India have saved hundreds of lives, even rescuing a puppy who was unable to move and barely visible after falling into wet tar.
India has the most stray dogs in any country in the world. Its a frightening epidemic that results in most of the canines becoming scavengers living off the scraps they can find in garbage piles who meet cruel, untimely demises on the streets. In this particular case, Animal Aid Unlimited was notified of a dog lying in the street, severely infected with mange. His fur had all but disappeared and his body was instead covered with thick patches of irritated skin that clung to his emaciated frame.
After the first good meal he’d probably ever had in his life, the dog was given the first of what would be many medicated baths to soothe his skin and begin the slow healing process. Initially he withdrew from the human’s touch, but just two days later and on his second bath, he would allow them to gently wash his skin while he stood patiently against the wall of his kennel.
Six weeks later and the once black, hairless dog with infected, open sores on his skin was unrecognizable, now sporting a healthy short-haired coat of brown and white and significantly heavier, frolicking and playing with other dogs at the shelter. While the endings aren’t always so happy for the millions of other stray dogs across the globe, this story of Animal Aid’s Unlimited selfless act can provide the reassurance that while the whole world may not be changed, the entire universe of a dog can be irrecoverably through some genuine love and care. And sometimes, just one dog saved is enough.