Rescuers Thought Abandoned Puppy Had Parvo Because of His Small Size … But Turns Out He Was Deliberately Starved

When we bring new animal companions into our homes, they trust us to keep them fed, sheltered, and loved for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and animals are abandoned every day by guardians who no longer wish to take care of them. The wonderful animal rescue organization Rescue Dogs Rock NYC recently took in a tiny puppy, and what they discovered will break your heart.

The beautiful puppy named Benji was an “owner surrender.” 

The approximately six-month-old puppy was emaciated and weighed just 10 pounds, causing rescuers to believe he was suffering from an illness like parvo.

After rigorous tests for parvo, lepto, distemper, and GI issues, there were thankfully no positive results, causing rescuers to believe the pup was so tiny because he was starved.

Despite his very rough start in life, Benji still loves people of all ages and gets along well with other dogs.

Benji’s health appears to be improving, and we hope he finds the perfect forever home and guardian who will give him all he needs to thrive and grow up to be a strong, healthy dog.

To inquire about adopting Benji, or to make a donation towards his care, visit the Rescue Dogs Rock Facebook page here or visit their website here.

Sadly, although Benji is certainly one-of-a-kind, tragic stories like his are not uncommon. 5,500 dogs are euthanized in shelters in the U.S. every single day after being abandoned and often mistreated or abused by the guardians they trusted. To help ease the burden of overpopulation in shelters, please make sure you consider adoption when adding a new animal into your life. If you cannot adopt, then fostering is a fantastic way to show abandoned animals some extra TLC while clearing up space at shelters and rescues for more animals in need. To learn more about fostering, go here. And to learn more about fostering puppies and kittens, in particular, visit here.

And remember to share this with your network to increase Support for beautiful Benji!

All Image Source: Rescue Dogs Rock NYC/Facebook