Thanks to animal control officers, Stanley, an overweight and disabled Chihuahua, is on his way to recovery.
Animal control officers found the 8-year-old dog in a cage on one of the highways in New Jersey. Stanley was almost motionless and petrified when the rescuers came.
They immediately took Stanley to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge to receive medical attention. According to Megan Brinster, executive director of the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, all four of the dog’s legs are bent like pretzels, making it hard for him to move. The Chihuahua also weighed about 21 pounds, which is more than double the average size for a Chihuahua.
The journey towards fitness
A veterinarian examined him, and other than his weight, the dog did not appear to have any other health issues. Stanley is now in the hand of a foster mother who knows how to take care of senior and disabled animals. She confessed that getting Stanley to eat a low-fat diet was difficult at first.
It did, however, get easier after she started feeding him fresher meals. Thankfully, it didn’t take a while for the dog to lose excess weight. According to his foster mother, Stanley was a kind and loving dog.
He enjoys socializing with other people, but he also prefers to be alone sometimes. Stanley would be available for adoption once he fully recovers. According to Brinster, most animals go through a lot of hardship, yet they still manage to stay strong.
The shelter also began fundraising to pay for Stanley’s physical therapy and a customized wheelchair. Brinster believes that the wheelchair will help the dog to walk easily. She also said that the shelter also has other canines that use wheelchairs and can easily outrun dogs without disabilities.
They’ve just recently begun the fundraising, but they’ve already gotten many calls from people who want to help Stanley in whatever way they can.
Credit: rbarishelter
