An emaciated, injured dog named Seamus was barely clinging to life when he was found on the streets and admitted to Manhattan Animal Care & Control in New York City.
At the time, his weight was just 22 pounds – half of the ideal weight of 45 pounds.
As soon as the staff at North Shore Animal League America, a rescue located in Port Washington, New York, heard about Seamus and saw the dire condition he was in, they stepped in and took him under their care.
The dog needed life-saving medical care and a lot of support and love so that he could get back on his paws.
Seamus Receives Help
When Deana Merino, the medical director of North Shore Animal League, met the pup for the first time, she was both shocked and heartbroken.
Seamus didn’t have any strength left in his skinny body, which was covered in open wounds and lesions.
“When I first saw him, it was heartbreaking. He could barely move. It was so sad. I was feeling angry and upset. How can people do this to a dog like him? How did it get this bad,“ Merino told PEOPLE.
Dr. Gerard Laheney, D.V.M., a supervising veterinarian at the rescue, examined him.
He was equally shocked at Seamus’ horrible condition, saying he hadn’t seen anything similar in the twenty years he had worked at the shelter.
After the vet team ran the dog’s bloodwork, they learned that he was anemic.
Since the pooch didn’t have any underlying medical issues that could explain his terrible state, Dr. Laheney was certain that the doggo was starved and dumped on the streets.
Although Seamus suffered abuse and cruelty at the hands of humans, he was an absolute sweetheart from the very beginning.
He curled up in a comfy bed his caregivers gave him.
While his new friends stroked him and talked to him in a tender voice, the pup absorbed all their cuddles with a loving expression on his face.
He even gathered up the strength to wag his tail and show his gratitude.
The Pup Starts Recovering
Smitten with Seamus and his adorable disposition, Merino took him home and fostered him. She wanted to nurse the pup back to health and give him a ton of love.
“With my medical background, I know I can help him gain weight the right way, feed him well, and offer him the love and care he deserves,” Merino added.
Merino made sure the pup had a well-balanced diet made of high-protein meals.
Slowly but surely, Seamus started recovering and gaining weight. He overcame his anemia.
When the doggo becomes healthy enough, he will have his neuter surgery and be very close to being ready for adoption.
Although the doggo is not strong enough, he has already tried to run with Merino’s own dogs.
Seamus can’t wait to reach full health and start enjoying his life to the fullest.
Merino is convinced that the pup will be an amazing pet for his forever family. He loves snuggling and being around the people he loves.
Seamus’ resilience and fighting spirit are truly remarkable and inspiring. I have no doubts that he will find the happiness and love that he has always wished for.