A Florida dog was recently rescued from a Boca Raton sidewalk where he had been cemented to the ground in an act of unimaginable animal cruelty.
Florida Dog Cemented to Ground
Tri-County Animal Rescue shared the horrifying story on its Facebook page on Jan. 23. The 10-year-old Pekingese mix, now known as Trooper, was “completely stuck to the sidewalk off Yamato Road,” according to the post. He was apparently left to die.
“There was no way a dog could have ended up like this overnight,” the post continued. “How long was it going on? How long does he have? Did he get to us in time?”
Dog Desperately In Need of Care
The shelter employees shaved the pooch down and discovered maggots crawling out of his fur. He also had overgrown nails and dental decay. The canine underwent hours of grooming as well as Keto shampoo baths due to urine and fecal burns.
Over the course of the day, the shelter staff tested Trooper, and eventually diagnosed him with 22 different medical conditions. The most critical health issues were paralysis, heart murmur, corneal ulcers, worms, enlarged prostate, severe periodontal disease, ear infections, and a UTI.
At the time of the post, Trooper’s medical expenses had amounted to $2,500.
“If we can find 22 heroes through this post. One for each of his medical conditions, we will be one step closer to giving Trooper the life his past 10 years were not,” the shelter pleaded. “If everyone who follows us donates just $22 we can finally put a smile on his face and a wag through his tail. Please help us help him.”
Luckily, dog lovers rallied around the pup and hundreds of people donated over $18,000 to help him recover.
In a video update on Instagram, Tri-County Humane showed Trooper practicing standing. The caption read: “Getting stronger every day with all of your support!”
Though Trooper has a lot of hard work and healing ahead of him, he is getting better every day.
“He has a good quality of life,” Dianna Otero, the director of Tri-State Humane, told Today. “He eats all day long, like a little piglet…So, we’re doing our best to see what the outcome will be.”
