A 10-month-old puppy named Duke was so confused when someone shackled him up to a broken down trailer in a Bulgarian village. He didn’t understand why. Sadly, someone had started a nasty rumor that he was diseased and ‘untouchable.’
For ten long and excruciating days, Duke curled up underneath the trailer with no food, no water, and no love.
Thankfully, there was a woman in the village who noticed Duke and could sense that something was very wrong. She decided to make a phone call to Rudozem Street Dog Rescue; they are a charity group in Bulgaria that helps animals in need.
Tony Rowles, the organization’s co-founder, immediately got in his car and drove to Duke’s location. When he arrived, he couldn’t believe his eyes. The poor puppy was in absolutely terrible condition.
Rescuers found the 10-month-old puppy covered in flies, surrounded by feces, and understandably terrified of humans.
“He was very scared,” Rowles told The Dodo. “There was a stench of ammonia. He couldn’t move anywhere. It was totally overwhelming.”
However, Duke could tell that Rowles was there to help him, not hurt him, so he slowly approached him and kissed Rowles on the hand. It was an overwhelmingly emotional moment for both Duke and his rescuer.
The Rudozem Street Dog Rescue’s shelter was over capacity, so Rowles decided to bring him home where he’d say with his other dogs and cats.
After some medical exams and testing, it was obvious that Duke did not have a contagious disease as was once suspected. However, the poor dog had two bent and broken feet — Rowles was horrified to see that they had been caused by a human.
“It was a real shock when the vet said this was trauma to his feet,” Rowles said. “They were obviously broken. His feet were shattered. The ligaments in his feet were nonexistent. Bones were just floating about in his feet.”
In addition to Duke’s two broken feet, the poor thing was also severely malnourished. The chain that had been around his neck damaged his throat, causing a harsh cough.
The rescued puppy went through numerous surgeries and a strict nutrition regimen, and soon, he was becoming the happy-go-lucky dog he was meant to be. It was clear that Duke was going to make a great companion for a lucky person or family.
“It came to a point where we said, ‘You know, he could actually go for adoption now,'” Rowles thought.
After placing Duke’s adorable pictures online, he caught the attention of Diana Romaine in England.
Two years after the puppy was found chained and curled up underneath a broken down trailer, Duke was finally going to find his forever and loving home. Diana couldn’t have been happier to provide Duke the love and compassion that he so deeply deserved.
For what was a tragic and horrible beginning to Duke’s life has turned into the happiest of endings. Watch the video of Duke’s incredible rescue below.
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