Neglected poodle starved for so long he forgot how to eat

If animal experiments were abandoned, humanity would have made a fundamental advance.

In my deepest dreams, no animal will live in the solitude of abandonment on the streets, or even in the abandonment of a home without love, chained, hungry and cold.

On a hot summer night, a woman was walking through the streets of Tampa, Florida (a state in the southeastern US), when she saw a really strange animal: it looked like a dog, but it was so thin that it seemed like it hadn’t tasted food for a long time.

The dog was inside a house, so the woman couldn’t take any action on its behalf. But the animal inspired so much pity, standing in front of a window, that the witness decided to report the situation to the authorities.

The rescue

Tampa police took it upon themselves to investigate the matter.

When officers arrived at the house, they found a very thin animal. It was impossible, looking at the bundle of bones, to identify a poodle.

In fact, officers found three dogs at the address provided.

All of them showed signs of having been neglected for a long time: they were very thin, with shaggy and patchy fur, and dry, parasite-infested eyes.

The place was very dirty, unmaintained, and there was not even any food left. Unfortunately, of the three dogs rescued immediately, only one survived; two died of starvation.

The poodle, the very dog spotted by the witness from the street, was the survivor of neglect and irresponsibility. At the shelter, he was evaluated by veterinarians, who estimated he was nine years old.

The dog was named Beni. He was in terrible condition: he suffered from diabetes, a tumor on his hind leg, infections and inflammation in several areas of his skin, and excessive hair loss: the poodle was found practically bald.

New house

Because of his advanced age, severe malnutrition, and numerous health problems, the team concluded that the only possible alternative in this case was euthanasia.

A shelter worker, however, remembered a special service in Florida and tried to get the poodle one last chance.

All dogs rescued from the streets, as long as they do not carry zoonoses (diseases potentially transmissible to humans), are candidates for adoption.

In practice, however, sick and elderly animals rarely find candidates willing to take them home.

Beni, besides being old and sick, was also a survivor of neglect.

In this condition, most animals show traumatic symptoms: some become extremely fearful, while others try to attack practically anything that moves near them.

Finally, the poodle was finally able to move to Senior Paws Sanctuary. Now, Beni lives at the sanctuary with Deborah and 26 other dogs, all in their senior years.

My dog is the best companion I could ever ask for! Even without speaking, he understands me better than anyone. A dog is a love for life. They may not last forever, but their love and presence endure forever.

Few things in life are better than arriving home after a tiring day and being greeted by this handsome guy.