There’s nothing quite so sad as when pet owners discard the animals they are charged with caring for like some old, used toy that’s outlived its novelty.
Larry the yellow Lab from Orange County, California, was one such dog. When passersby found him, he was living near a parking lot across from the house where his former owners once lived. They had moved and decided that Larry would no longer be a part of their lives, so they left him.
Sleeping in the dirt behind some bushes, Larry lived there for several months. Locals who noticed him would leave him food and water, but he was so sad and depressed that he would just lie there, hopeless. Larry was an old dog, making his situation even sadder.
One day, a delivery person saw Larry and decided that something had to be done. She took some photos of him and then created a blog page especially for him where, hopefully, sympathetic browsers might take pity on him and reach out.
Thankfully, the plan worked! The president of a local dog shelter soon contacted her.
“Get the dog to us---we will take care of the rest,” they wrote.
After a medical exam, they learned that the poor dog was suffering from Cushing’s disease, which causes excessive amounts of cortisol in the body; he had an extremely bloated stomach, and difficulty walking.
With medication, they managed to get the disease under control, and even found Larry a home. Sadly, the new owners returned Larry to the shelter not long after, as did two other subsequent owners who took him in, due to the monthly costs of the old Lab’s medical treatment.
Thankfully, there were still caring souls back at the shelter who Larry could depend on—everyone needs someone to love them, and Larry is no different.
However, nothing can match the love that a genuinely devoted forever home with a human mom or dad can give—especially for an old dog in need. For now, Larry is still in need of his. After everything Larry has been through, he really deserves a loving home to call his own.
