Last week in Pompano, Florida, Officer Angela Laurella responded to a heartbreaking report: two dogs had been found tied to separate poles on a deserted dead-end street. With no surveillance cameras nearby, there was no way to tell how long they had been left there—or who had abandoned them. But with the sweltering heat climbing to 100 degrees, Officer Laurella knew she had to act fast. Time was running out.
Officer Laurella rushed to the scene and was met with a heartbreaking sight: a frail gray dog tethered so tightly to a pole he could barely move an inch.
“He was tied to a pole with a very short leash,” said Amy Roman, president and founder of 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida. “He was painfully thin—completely emaciated and dehydrated—with every bone and rib visibly jutting out. It was clear he’d been suffering for a long time.”
The dog, now named Liam, placed his paw in the officer’s hand and bowed his head to receive pets. “She just walked toward him very slowly and reached out her hand, and he kind of cowered and gave her his paw, as if to say, ‘Please help get me out of here,’” Roman said.
Officer Laurella could see that Liam hadn’t had an easy life and needed special care, so she reached out to the rescue 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida for help. Even though the rescue was over capacity, Roman accepted Liam without hesitation.
After numerous vet visits, Liam is now relaxing in Roman’s home, where the 17-pound pocket bully is slowly gaining back his strength — and eating better than he ever has before.
“He’s receiving so much love around the clock,” Roman said. “He’s being fed every hour on the hour so his body gets used to it … We have volunteers who are cooking batches of boiled chicken and rice, so he’s loving life right now.”
While Liam still has a long road ahead of him, with many vet appointments in his future, he’s been a ray of sunshine since his rescue.
“He loves everybody, and there’s not a mean bone in this dog’s body,” Roman said. “To me, that says it all, because after everything he’s endured, he’s still so grateful and forgiving.”
Liam is one of many animals who’ve been recently abandoned or surrendered by their owners in Florida.
With so many shelters bursting at the seams, Roman hopes pet owners will reach out to shelters and rescues for help and resources before deciding they can no longer care for their pets. And Liam is proof that every dog deserves a second chance.
Despite everything he’s been through, Liam is still offering people his paw, proving that he’s ready for a life with a loving family.
“I think humanity can definitely learn a thing or two from dogs such as Liam,” Roman said. “It just restores your faith.”
Story Source: Online
