Some animals arrive at shelters in heartbreaking condition, but with a little love their lives can totally turn around.
That was the case for one neglected dog, who was found nearly starving to death, but in the weeks since has been making incredible strides.
In September, the South Suburban Humane Society, in Illinois, took in a severely emaciated dog named Pumpkin. He was first found by a local resident who thought he was dying and brought him to the police.
Emily Klehm, CEO of the South Suburban Humane Society, told Newsweek that while they rescue many dogs, Pumpkin’s was an “extreme case” that left them speechless. “He was severely emaciated and unable to walk,” she said.
Photos show how unbelievably thin the dog was — it’s a miracle he survived at all.
Vets administered fluids and shaved his matted fur. Despite the rough start, he started to perk up and went into foster care with one of the shelter employees.
“Thankfully, we got him into foster care, where he is starting to improve and stand on his own again,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “His journey is still long, but we are incredibly proud of him so far.”
Updates from the shelter show the remarkable improvement Pumpkin has made in just a short time. While he was unable to stand when they first found him, he can now walk around the yard on his own, wagging his tail
“This little man is so strong and getting better every single day,” the shelter wrote.
Though he’s still visibly thin, he has been slowly regaining weight. “This little man is progressing, and we cannot wait to see how much more he continues to improve!” South Suburban Humane Society wrote.
Pumpkin’s backstory is still unclear, but the shelter says he will be placed up for adoption once he gets medical clearance.
“Pumpkin will need a home that understands that he was severely neglected,” Klehm told Newsweek. “He doesn’t know how to be a dog, so everything from leash walking to toys are all new experiences for him. An experienced dog family would be best.”
In the meantime, he’s doing well and loves his foster home.
It’s heartbreaking that Pumpkin was neglected for so long, but we’re so glad he’s doing well and regaining weight — we hope he finds a forever home soon when he’s ready!
Please share this story if you love dogs!
Why My Husband Divorced Me When He Received This Picture From Me?! It’s The Reason That Shocked Me…
It was one of those peaceful, quiet afternoons that make you feel at ease, surrounded by the calm of the open field and the gentle rustling of leaves. I leaned against the truck, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the solitude, and thought about sharing a small moment of my day with my husband. The truck looked picture-perfect against the trees, so I snapped a quick photo and sent it off without a second thought.
The reply came back almost instantly, and it wasn’t what I had anticipated.
“Who’s that in the reflection?”
I frowned, reading his words again, unsure of what he meant. I hadn’t seen anyone. “What reflection?” I typed back, a slight unease building.
“The rear window. There’s someone there,” he replied, his tone suddenly more serious.
Heart pounding, I opened the photo and zoomed in, focusing on the rear window’s reflection. At first, I assumed it was just a glare, maybe a trick of the light or a shadow from the trees. But as I studied it more closely, my stomach twisted. There was, indeed, a figure—a faint outline of a person standing just behind me. The more I looked, the more familiar the shape became. A man in a hat, his face obscured by the brim’s shadow.
My breath caught. It looked just like the hat my ex-boyfriend used to wear, one he was rarely seen without.
A chill ran through me. I had been alone, hadn’t I? I hadn’t noticed anyone when I took the picture, and the field was empty, just me and the truck. But there he was, unmistakably standing close enough to be caught in the window’s reflection. How was this even possible?
I tried to calm my husband with a hasty reply. “It’s probably just a shadow or something from the background. I was definitely alone.” But even I felt the uncertainty in my words.
His response came back with unwavering suspicion. “That doesn’t look like a shadow. It looks like him.”
My stomach churned. I knew exactly who he meant, and it didn’t seem real. It was as if my past had come creeping into that quiet afternoon, catching me off guard in a way I couldn’t quite rationalize. Could my ex somehow have been nearby, without me noticing? Or was it just a terrible trick of timing that happened to look exactly like him?
I stared at the photo, scrutinizing the figure in the reflection. The way he stood, the hat—it all felt too familiar. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself otherwise, the unease wouldn’t subside. What if it really was him, somehow lingering on the edge of my present?
I called my husband, my voice shaking, trying to explain, to tell him it had to be a weird coincidence. But the doubt was palpable, filling the silence on the other end of the line. When he finally spoke, his tone was distant, guarded. “I don’t know,” he said slowly. “That reflection… it doesn’t feel like a coincidence.”
After the call ended, I sat there, staring down at the picture that now seemed to hold far more than just a snapshot of my day. That faint outline of a man in the background was like a shadow, dredging up something from the past I’d thought was over and done with.
In the days that followed, everything between us felt off, like a shift we both felt but couldn’t quite fix. The image of that figure in the reflection hung over us, an uncomfortable reminder of my past and a mystery I couldn’t answer. I tried to assure him it was nothing, that I had been alone, but the trust between us felt shaken, as though something essential had been altered by that tiny, barely visible reflection.
What was meant to be a simple picture, a small shared moment, had suddenly changed everything, casting a shadow neither of us could escape. And in that small, haunting detail, we found ourselves questioning what should have been unquestionable.
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