As a woman passed by a California orchard, she was shocked by a frightening animal lurking around. It was extremely bony with missing patches of fur all over its body, but it had a fluffy mane around its neck. It limped as it walked around, and its exposed skin was scaly. Curious about what type of animal it was and whether it needed help, the woman took a photo and posted it to Facebook. She discovered that the animal had been prowling around the area for months, but everyone was too scared to approach it as they believed it could be dangerous. Some people even believed that the animal was a werewolf.
Fortunately, an animal lover named Megan Bowe saw the Facebook photo and realized that the creature was not a werewolf but a sick and malnourished German shepherd. Megan runs Bowe's Adoptable Rescue Pups, so she knows how to care for sick dogs. She rushed to the area where the dog was spotted, put him in her car, and took him to an emergency vet. There, she discovered that he had a broken tail, a broken pelvis, and scabies, a skin infection caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin. Because he was in such rough condition, he looked like an old dog. However, the vet confirmed that he was actually only 12 months old. The vet believes that the dog was hit by a car, which explains the broken pelvis and broken tail. The injuries must have happened months ago and healed improperly, so the dog couldn't move around properly to find food and water. Despite all the trauma he went through, Megan says he's a kind and loving dog. "If I sit down, he has his face right next to mine and leans in as if he's giving me a hug. He has been so calm and relaxed through everything," she says.
Megan named the dog King and has been taking care of him in her garage. Because he has mange, a highly contagious condition, he has to be quarantined from Megan's other rescue dogs. After six weeks of feedings and medicine, King was finally strong enough for surgery to heal his hip and tail. He still has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but he's in much better condition than he was a few months ago. Eventually, Megan hopes that he will be ready for adoption. While he heals and gains strength, she's showing him unconditional love by spending time with him, taking him on easy walks, and giving him dog treats. It's easy to overlook someone who needs help, but you never know when you'll have the opportunity to save a person or an animal. Megan says, "It's hard to think that all those cars passed him by and never stopped. No one wanted to bring him home or help him because he looked so bad... but all it took was one person." Megan's kindheartedness and compassion saved King, and he'll hopefully have a forever home soon.
