When Wilson Martins Coutinho found a dog being eaten alive by maggots, he did something unbelievable. He scooped him into his arms, he gave him a hug, and he PROMISED he would save him.
The hero in this story, Wilson Martins Coutinho, lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This incredible man makes saving abandoned stray dogs his life’s work. Below, we share photos of one of the most gripping rescues we’ve ever witnessed.
The story began when Wilson found a sweet stray in dire condition. He named the pup Francisco – and soon realized that the poor sweetie was on the brink of death. Please note: the early images of Francisco when Wilson found him are quite GRAPHIC, and may disturb some of our readers, but I hope that you can stick with this story…because the ending is so beautiful.
Wilson noticed a stray dog struggling to walk, all of his bones showing due to malnourishment. As he came closer, he realized a much larger problem...a maggot-infected sore on his breastbone.
The wound was so bad that muscle and tissue was exposed, so Wilson wrapped the dog in a spare towel and rushed home to treat his injuries.
Wilson's description of what was happening to poor Francisco was horrifyingly grotesque. He wrote that Francisco was being "eaten alive" by the maggots!
As a result, his skin and ears were extremely infected.
Francisco's paws were so torn up that every step was painful.
The first step to nursing Francisco back to health? Disinfecting EVERYTHING...
Wilson donned gloves, but poor Francisco was so weak, he barely moved as he applied ointment to his gaping wounds.
Each gash was very infected, but Francisco was such a good boy during his treatments.
A close-up of the many gauze bandages...
The grateful gaze of a dog to his rescuer!
Treats for being the best doggy patient of all-time!
Francisco was too weak to eat his chow in a normal fashion, so compassionate Wilson spoon-fed him.
Thumbs up for having an appetite - that's a good sign!
By his next check-up, Francisco was noticeably plumper thanks to Wilson's tireless care.
His wounds were cleaned and the now-dead maggots were removed one by one.
A disgusting process, to say the least, but at least it meant Francisco would recover.
Next, the poor pup had to endure another round of ointment and gauze.
Hang in there, sweet Francisco!
There's a silver lining to every doctor's visit, and that silver lining is SNACKIES!
Photos from Francisco's third doctor visit look really gory, but Francisco is actually 100% maggot-free! The clean pink color was a GOOD sign. Now this brave pup could really start to heal - physically and emotionally.
The little guy was much more alert during his treatments by his 3rd go-round. HI CUTIE!
Pretty soon, Francisco was playing...
...and sleeping just like a normal dog!
If it hadn't been for Wilson's compassionate care, who knows where Francisco might be.
We wish Francisco a happy and healthy life from this point forward! The world needs more people like Wilson. Please SHARE if you agree!
