‘Skin and bones’ dog ditched outside shelter is now recovering thanks to rescue

It can be truly unbelievable how cruel some people can be to animals. So many pets are left for dead by their owners and found in terrible shape.

Thankfully, there are also people in the world willing to step up and care for these dogs and give them a second chance. That’s the case for one abandoned dog, who is now recovering at a rescue.

The dog, now named Olympus, was ditched outside Richmond Animal Care and Control in Virginia. The dog had been left there overnight in the freezing cold, not discovered until the next morning. Animal control employees found the dog in heartbreaking condition.

“He couldn’t stand, was freezing cold, skin and bones, had dirt poring out of his mouth and was so pitiful it broke our hearts,” RACC wrote on Facebook.

Even for people who work professionally with rescue animals, this was a particularly shocking case: “Sometimes we just can’t take it anymore,” they wrote. “Sometimes the things people do to animals is overwhelming and it makes us want to lay on the floor and cry.”

But instead of giving into despair, they jumped into action to save the dog’s life. The shelter’s director warmed Olympus in their car as they rushed to the hospital, where vets administered emergency care.

“His temperature was too low to read and his blood pressure wasn’t strong enough to place an IV,” RACC wrote.

“They warmed him up, started sub Q fluids and we prayed that his body could make a comeback.”

No one was sure if Olympus would survive. But in an update, they reported that the poor dog was “still alive and doing well,” and thanked followers for their support.

They also said that an investigation into the case was “thriving” but that they couldn’t offer any further details. Hopefully, the previous owner who abandoned Olympus will be found and face consequences.

But in the meantime, the dog is rebounding. RACC says they are unsure when or if Olympus will be available for adoption, and that they are “not out of the woods yet,” but everyone is hopeful that this poor dog will pull through and get a second chance for a better life.