As a rescuer, Eduardo Rodriguez had seen some of the most horrific cases of animal abuse and neglect in his career. Even so, he was left shaking in disgust when he first saw a 10-month-old puppy named Barilla.
The wee puppy was disturbingly emaciated and one could see every single bone in her body, and her organs were close to shutting down.
It was suspected that Barilla was locked in a cage and intentionally starved all her life, as this was the only logical explanation to her extreme emaciation.
She didn’t even have the strength to eat a morsel, and it seemed like she wouldn’t survive another night. In a desperate attempt to revive her, the vet hooked her up to an IV drip.
Despite the IV fluids, Barilla was living on borrowed time. Her muscles were gone and she would crumble down every time she tried to stand on her own.
But Eduardo never once saw her as a lost cause. He religiously stood by her side and begged her to fight back. He had to hold back his tears when Barilla stumbled and fell while trying to walk.
After days of continuous IV-based nutrition, Barilla’s risk of organ failure was finally gone!
But it was only a little victory, as she still weighed 15 lbs and no one knew how her wasted body would react to actual food.
Barilla’s feeding regime began with little sips of water, and then she gradually moved to having 6 tiny meals a day.
Her vitals were monitored 24/7, while Eduardo’s loving and motivating presence pushed her to endure the few bad days that she encountered.
It was a dream come true moment for Eduardo when Barilla valiantly defied all her setbacks and made a complete recovery! The proud rescuer decided to adopt this mighty trooper and give her the best life ever.
Barilla is unrecognizable now as she smiles away in her forever home, and we can’t help but shed a few happy tears at her miraculous transformation!
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