Dog with 6-pound tumor rescued just in time after being abandoned at a kill shelter

With all the news lately…I thought we could use this heart-warming story.

His previous owner left the dog with instructions to just kill him.

Though many of us wish that all dogs and cats and other domestic animals all had loving homes and families, that is simply not the case in the United States or any other nation in the world. In the U.S., there is a sharp distinction between the county and city shelters and independent rescues, and the former is exactly where Clyde, a 1-year-old puppy, was dropped off last week. His owner had taken him to a high-kill shelter, which most county shelters have to be because of space and monetary restrictions, and instead of informing staff of this dog’s name he simply said they should euthanize him.

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Thankfully, the staff at the shelter did no such thing despite the very clear medical condition that this young dog was suffering from; descending directly from his chest was a massive 6.4 pound tumor that had grown so large it was dragging across the floor and the poor dog was bleeding. This is presumably the reason the owner had abandoned him in the first place, but veterinarians had estimated that the tumor had been growing for at least 6 months, which would have been ample time to remove it before it got out of hand.

“Explain to me how someone can watch this baby run around dragging this huge mess everyday. Then wait till he’s so much in pain and that mess is bleeding and dump him at a shelter and say kill him. I hate people. This owner truly deserves to never be allowed to own another animal,” said a Facebook post from the Gallatin County Animal Shelter in Sparta, Kentucky.

Photo Credit: Gallatin County Animal Shelter

The Gallatin County Animal Shelter was the shelter that received the dog, now named Clyde, but they knew that they would not be able to keep him if they wanted him to live. His surgery would be pricey and deemed excessive when that money could be used to pay for the care of countless other dogs. As a result, the shelter reached out on Facebook to locate a no-kill animal rescue, which is one of those independent organizations that will do just about anything to ensure that the animals they receive live a long, happy life. Through their Facebook post, HART Animal Rescue in Cincinnati, Ohio was able to find Clyde and had a volunteer transport him to them.

“A volunteer from the shelter transported this handsome, sweet boy Monday night to us. We let her name him, as his owner didn’t care enough to give his name out. Meet Clyde!” said HART Cincinnati on Facebook.

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The very next morning, Clyde underwent surgery to have his huge tumor removed, which he had lived with for over half of his life. After the surgery, the rescue said he was feeling “better and lighter” and that in the days following he was “resting and recuperating.”

With how sweet-natured this young boy is, HART doesn’t foresee him facing any challenges in finding a forever home. For now, he’s recovering from surgery, but the rescue found out on Wednesday that the tumor was benign and that vets don’t believe it will regrow. This is amazing news, and now Clyde can simply focus on living his best life with whomever adopts him.

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*Article originally appeared at True Activist.