A young man in Texas became a hero after responding to a sweet dog's cry for help.
Now, a happy-go-lucky yellow Lab named Rocky has, as his rescuer puts it, "a second chance at being a good boy."
We all know that dogs are incredibly sweet creatures, but are also very good at getting themselves into trouble.
Every now and then, a pup will wander away from home and end up in a scary situation.
Last winter, one dog almost got frozen in an icy pond before a Good Samaritan stepped in. Lots of other dogs get trapped or stuck in frightening predicaments, and need a hand in getting free.
That's exactly what happened to poor Rocky. He ran away from home and ended up in very bad shape.
Fortunately, his hero came along just in the nick of time to save the day and help make life a lot happier for this very good boy!
Scroll through below to see Rocky's dramatic rescue and how he's doing now!
A young man in Texas took to the image-sharing site Imgur this past week to share a harrowing story.
The man, who uses the online name dedspin, is actually named David Chavez. He rescued a sweet pup named Rocky from a terrifying and dangerous situation.
David lays out the whole story in his heartbreaking online post, writing:
I heard whimpering on a vacant lot off and on coming from the vacant lot next to where I work.
After a few hours, I had to find out what was back there.
Jumped the fence and started to investigate.
Came upon a dog neck deep in a abandoned oil sump.
The poor pup was a sorry sight, barely able to keep his head above water. David immediately started working to save the dog.
He explains:
After waiting 30 minutes for backup from a coworker, we started to brainstorm a way to get him out.
A ramp didn't work so we worked a strap under the dog's front legs.
We used all the muscle we could muster to pull the big wet dog out.
The poor creature turned out to be a very skinny and bedraggled yellow Labrador. He was understandably distraught after the trauma of his experience and the stress of the rescue.
David writes that he tried to take off: "After a split second of attempting to run away, the dog gave up due to simply having no energy left."
There's no way of knowing how long he was in that sump pit, which had walls too high for him to climb.
It was evidently set up at some point to collect cast-off oil, and filled up with water to form a greasy mix after it was abandoned.
This drama unfolded in the variable weather of the Texas spring, and the poor pup was cold from his time in the water.
David and his coworker quickly wrapped him up in a towel to try to keep him warm until professional help arrived.
They gave him clean water to drink, guessing that the skinny pup was probably badly dehydrated as well as undernourished.
Eventually, local rescue groups and animal control showed up at the site to help out.
The two men were in over their heads as far as helping to get Rocky clean and hydrated, so they did exactly the right thing and called in professionals to help. David contacted Furry Friends Have Feelings Too for assistance.
The rescue groups bundled up Rocky and carried him straight back to safety at the vet's office.
David writes that the vet gave Rocky the full wellness treatment.
He got five special baths to clean off all the oil and muck, and an IV drip to help replenish his fluids.
The poor pup was dehydrated, just as his rescuers had guessed.
Then the vet scanned for a tracking chip, trying to figure out if anyone was missing this very brave boy.
They discovered that the yellow Lab was named Rocky, and he was desperately missed by his family. They had been searching for him for two weeks, ever since he ran off.
Sweet Rocky only managed to make it three miles from home, but he still managed to get himself in plenty of trouble.
They don't know how long he was in the oil sump, but it's possible that he was trapped there for most of the time he was missing.
He was very skinny when found, indicating that he'd burned through his body's fat stores. He was probably drinking the oily water and any rainwater he could access.
Now, Rocky is a new man! David came back to visit him a few days after the rescue, and found that the sad, scared pup he'd met before was clean and happy.
As David puts it, "Now I have a new friend for life." He also sealed the friendship by going back the next day and covering up the sump, to make sure no other innocent creature gets trapped inside.
If you love this happy ending, be sure to SHARE and spread the word about Rocky's amazing rescue!
