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Earlier this month we reported on the story of Argon, the German shepherd who was found left to die in a canyon with a zip tie around his mouth.
But after being rescued, Argon is facing another battle after being diagnosed with lymphoma.
Argon was found by two rock climbers on July 3, in a remote area near Malibu Creek Canyon. The poor dog’s muzzle had been sealed with a ziptie.
The hikers stopped to help, gaining his trust enough to remove the ziptie and give him some food. “He is such a sweet dog,” Jonathan Manaoat, one of the hikers, told KTLA. “He allowed my friend and I to pet him and he gently ate our food out of our hands.”
They were shocked that the dog had been a victim of such cruelty: “Someone did this intentionally,” Manaoat told the outlet. “They left him stranded, down a hill in the middle of nowhere off the side of the road. They left him suffering. They left him for dead.”
The person who left Argon for dead has not been found, but animal groups have offered a substantial reward for information related to the case.
“This cruel and heartless act of abandoning an innocent German Shepherd in scorching temperatures with his mouth zip-tied over the 4th of July weekend is reprehensible. The individual responsible must be swiftly and decisively brought to justice to the fullest extent of the law. Rest assured, justice will prevail!” said Katie Cleary, Founder of Peace 4 Animals and World Animal News.
Argon was taken in by the nonprofit German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County. But while his cruel abandonment is now in the past, Argon is now facing another hurdle — a battle with cancer.
In a July 18 update, the rescue said that Argon had lymph nodes in his neck that were the “size of ping-pong balls.” They wrote that he had been officially diagnosed with lymphoma, which would be deadly if untreated.
They are currently waiting on tests to determine what level of cancer itis and what kind of treatments are required. “We are determined to provide him with compassion, comfort and good care for whatever time he has,” GSROC wrote.
“One look into Argon’s eyes and you can see the suffering that he has endured. He has been abandoned and betrayed by someone that he trusted. We have promised him that he will never be alone, unwanted or mistreated again now that he is safe in our embrace.”
In the meantime, they are doing their best to make sure Argon is feeling safe and comfortable. He is still understandably wary around humans and doesn’t make eye contact, but volunteers and staff members sit with him every day to build trust.
And there are signs that Argon is making some social progress. The staff recently heard him bark for the first time — a “huge, deep, WOOF!” — and took it as a “good sign that he is becoming less introverted.”
Argon is not available adoption; he will stay in the care of the GSROC as they determine the best course of treatment for his cancer.
This poor sweet dog has gone through so much, we hope Argon stays strong, beats cancer and finally gets the happy ending he deserves 😢❤️ Thank you to all the rescuers who are taking care of and treating him.
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