He was found near the trash cans outside a Henderson animal hospital, but this little guy was anything but garbage.
Today, he has a name, a family, and a whole community that refused to give up on him.
Last week, a Good Samaritan dropping off her own dog for a blood test at Valley Ranch Animal Hospital near Valle Verde Drive in Henderson, Nevada, spotted something unexpected in her rearview camera, a pair of small eyes near the trash cans.
She stopped, and found an abandoned puppy struggling to even put weight on his leg.
Veterinarian Dr. Dina Ibrahim examined the pup and discovered his injuries were far more serious than they first appeared.
X-rays revealed both of his legs were broken, along with a jaw fracture that was already in the process of healing from an earlier injury.
Imaging even showed rocks in his abdomen, a detail Dr. Ibrahim said could be consistent with a dog kept outdoors and eating dirt, though she noted the overall pattern of injuries was unusual.
Despite everything he had clearly been through, the puppy remained affectionate from the very start. “You would think trauma like that would make him averse to human contact,” Ibrahim said. “But he was just the sweetest little guy, wagging his tail, licking us.”
Local rescue group Hearts Alive Village stepped in and gave the Belgian Malinois mix a new name, Treasure, and a new chance at life.
Within days, Treasure needed emergency care at both Las Vegas Veterinary Specialty Center and Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, where specialty teams worked to stabilize and heal him. “They’ve really pulled through and done wonders for this boy,” said Amy Clatterbuck, director of operations for Hearts Alive Village.
After roughly two months of rehabilitation in the loving foster home of a Hearts Alive employee, Treasure recently met the adoptive family who’s been waiting to welcome him home for good. Henderson Police say the investigation into who left him behind remains active.
“He’s not trash. He is our treasure,” Clatterbuck said, and after everything he’s overcome, it’s hard to argue otherwise.
What would you name a rescue pup who overcame odds like Treasure’s?
Source:
fox5vegas – “Not trash, just Treasure: Dog found injured in Henderson dumpster now recovering in foster home”