In 2011, a maintenance worker came across a distressing sight. It was a badly emaciated dog who had been left in the garbage chute, barely breathing.
When Patrick was found, he was barely alive. His owner abandoned him, leaving him out to starve. To make matters worse, the owner even threw Patrick down a garbage chute that was 22 stories high.
Fortunately, the maintenance worker found the poor dog moments before he was put into a trash compactor.
The worker then brought Patrick to an animal hospital in Newark, New Jersey. No one at Garden State Veterinary Services was sure he’d survive the night.
But somehow, Patrick did!
But Patrick was far from healthy. He weight nineteen pounds, and his body temperature was so low that it didn’t even register on the thermometer.
His chances were slim. Every day that he survived was considered a victory. But everyone at the Garden State Veterinary Services was rooting for him.
Slowly, he started getting better and better.
He started to put on weight and grew his fur back. Soon, he began looking like a dog again.
Patrick started to put his worst days behind him. He even became playful again, just like a normal dog!
Patricia Smillie-Scavelli, the hospital’s administrator, adopted him.
“He would literally crawl under my feet at the desk, feeling safe in his own little place,” she said. “So it became really clear he was very close to me. Even the person from the [local] Humane Society was like, ‘I don’t think you have a choice. You have to adopt this dog,” Patricia told NBC News.
It took a year, but Patrick finally reached full health.
Patrick’s former owner was charged with neglect and abandonment and rightfully so.
Patrick’s story went viral online, and many news organizations covered the dog’s story. He was dubbed ‘Patrick the Miracle Dog.’
“It’s like you could be anywhere, and people would say, ‘How’s Patrick?’ He’s had a very lasting effect on everybody. He touched people,” Patricia said.
Patricia also made a Facebook page for the pup so his hundreds of thousands of fans could follow his recovery.
It has now been more than 10 years since Patrick was rescued, and thankfully, he’s doing incredibly well!
On March 17, 2021, Patricia posted a photo to celebrate the anniversary of his ‘rebirth.’
Poor Patrick has gone through so much, but he’s now a happy and healthy dog in a home with people who love him more than anything. We’re so glad this miracle dog’s story has such a good ending.
Check out the news story from when Patrick was first rescued below!
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